Interference statistics in a random mmWave ad hoc network

Abstract

Wireless communication at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies is attractive for cellular, local area, and ad hoc networks due to the potential for channels with large bandwidths. As a byproduct of directional beamforming and propagation differences, some studies have claimed that mmWave networks will be noise rather than interference limited. This paper presents a derivation of the instantaneous interference-to-noise ratio (INR) distribution of a mmWave ad hoc network. Random network model of transmitters represented by a Poisson point process with a narrowband channel model is used to derive an approximation of the INR distribution. The analysis shows that the shape of the INR distribution is determined largely by the line-of-sight interferers, which depends on the overall network density and building blockage. A main conclusion drawn is that even with highly directional beamforming, interference can only sometimes be neglected in an ad hoc network. With a reasonable choice of system parameters, the interference is nearly always stronger than the noise power in dense networks.