Interference Mapping in 3D for High-Density Indoor IoT Deployments

Abstract

Deployment of practical Internet of Things (IoT) in the context of 5G can be hindered by substantial interference and spectrum limitations, especially in the unlicensed frequency bands. Due to the high density of such devices in indoor scenarios, the need for interference characterization which facilitates more effective spectrum utilization is further emphasized. This chapter studies the influence of diverse scenarios for the dense placement of interferers on the spectrum occupancy through the use of 3D interference maps for two popular IoT technologies—LoRa and Wi-Fi. The experiments are performed with software-defined radio (SDR) platforms in real time and an automated positioning tool which provides the measurements to characterize the interference in 3D space. The findings demonstrate a nonuniform character of the interference and the significant impact of fading within the width, height, and length of the examined area. They suggest the role of dynamic relocation for realistic IoT scenarios.