Challenges and analysis of combining FR1 and FR2 bands using 5G carrier aggregation

Abstract

Abstract As 5G networks evolve to meet increasing demands for high-speed data, the integration of Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and Frequency Range 2 (FR2) bands has emerged as a key focus. While FR1 offers broad coverage, FR2 (mmWave) provides high capacity but faces challenges such as high propagation loss and susceptibility to blockage. Carrier Aggregation (CA) in 5G allows for the simultaneous utilization of multiple frequency bands, enhancing overall network capacity and performance by combining FR1 and FR2 resources. This study evaluates the effectiveness of CA in integrating FR1 and FR2 bands, comparing it to single-band operation. Simulations reveal that while CA improves overall throughput, significant differences in link capacity can lead to performance issues in specific scenarios. We propose a solution to mitigate these issues, which is validated through further simulations.