LAUSR

Coverage performance is very important for operators when commercializing NR networks due to its direct impact on service quality as well as CAPEX and OPEX. Compared to LTE, NR systems may operate at higher frequency bands, resulting in larger path loss and worse coverage performance. In this article, potential coverage issues for NR networks are discussed. Through link budget analysis, the gaps between baseline and target performance for typical NR physical channels are described; then the bottleneck channels are identified, including PUSCH, PUCCH, and PRACH. This article mainly focuses on PUSCH coverage enhancement, and potential solutions are discussed in a comprehensive manner. On top of the potential solutions, four joint schemes, which take feasibility as well as specification impact into consideration, are proposed for VoIP and eMBB services to further improve the coverage performance.