Analyzing 5G performance: investigating altitude-induced variations

Abstract

Since the launch of fifth generation (5G) services in Thailand in 2020, there have been continuous improvements in 5G coverage. Currently, 5G coverage extends to most areas throughout the country. However, coverage issues persist not only in rural areas but also in high-rise buildings in urban areas. Consequently, a study was conducted within such buildings. This paper assesses the performance of 5G at different altitude test points. The chosen location for the field tests was a high-rise building within a crowded public hospital, which receives numerous patients every weekday, in the major urban area of Bangkok. Two smartphones from the same manufacturer, both supporting 5G technology and equipped with the Speedtest application, were employed as tools for this study. Tests were carried out on the third and twenty-fourth floors of the high-rise building for data collection. The primary finding of this study reveals that download speeds exhibited a significant decrease with increasing altitude of the test points, as evidenced by statistical analysis (p-values<0.001). This implies an issue with altitude-induced variations, indicating a need for the improvement of indoor 5G coverage in high-rise buildings.