Simulation of vehicular communications scenarios using the ns3 Millicar module

This paper presents the results obtained after simulating vehicular communications scenarios by setting parameters defined in the standard. Three scenarios with different vehicle configurations on the road were considered. The open source tool, Millicar, was used for the simulations. This tool is basically a module integrated to ns3 and is configured according to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards defined for vehicular communications in 5G New Radio (5G-NR). In addition, it is optimized for the use of millimeter bands where there is a special interest due to the availability of spectrum in these bands. However, there are certain challenges to be taken into account, related to the high attenuation that occurs at these frequencies. The results obtained show the direct impact of increased vehicle speed on the performance achieved. In addition, a higher vehicle separation results in a higher rate of lost packets, thus reducing the throughput. Finally, the performance of V2X communication in millimeter bands is improved due to the use of higher bandwidths.