Attractiveness of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces: A Telecom Operator Perspective
Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) are planar arrays composed of numerous elements that can be electronically controlled to shape, steer or even manipluate the propagation of electromagnetic wave signals uses in wireless communication systems. In communication systems, the wireless channel is generally uncontrolable, random, and comes brings forth many issues. The aforementioned RIS technology has significant potential and is envisioned to enhance the performance of wireless systems by intelligently reconfiguring and virtually controlling the wireless environment aka the wireless channel.
Due to their potential and flexibility, RISs have attracted the interest of academia and industry gaining serious popularity. As one of the leading telecom operators in Turkey and Europe, here is Turkcell 6Gen Labs’ perspective on some potential use cases and benefits of RIS in the context of telecommunications and beyond 6G.
Ease of Deployment and Compatibility with Future Technologies:
RIS units are easily integrated into existing locations; they can be hidden within the surroundings or mounted on interior walls or building facades. Operators wishing to improve network performance fast and stealthily find this ease of implementation appealing.
RIS is anticipated to be a cornerstone technology as the industry progresses toward 6G and beyond, suitable with the new demands of next wireless communication systems, including massive MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) configurations and extremely high frequencies.
Network Capacity and Throughput:
In order to service more customers and provide better data rates, operators are continuously seeking for ways to expand their network’s capacity. Throughput and network capacity can be directly increased by using RIS to improve signal quality. RISs can maximize the use of available resources by serving numerous customers more efficiently in a given spectrum by concentrating and modifying the propagation of signals.
Dynamic Network Management:
In order to service more customers and provide better data rates, operators are continuously seeking for ways to expand their network’s capacity. Throughput and network capacity can be directly increased by using RIS to improve signal quality. RISs can maximize the use of available resources by serving numerous customers more efficiently in a given spectrum by concentrating and modifying the propagation of signals.
Signal Enhancement:
Using a RIS is similar to focusing a light beam with a lens to a single point, but instead of light we focus a communication signal in that it allows one to control the phases of individual elements of the RIS so they combine constructively at the receiver location. This deliberate concentration of energy is controlled by algorithms that adjust the phase of each component according to the state of the channel in an effort to increase the signal strength at the receiver and therefore enhance the quality of the communication and possible range. It is feasible to boost the signal where it is most needed, improving the quality of the transmission, by synchronizing the signal’s phase across the RIS.
Interference Mitigation:
RIS reduces the noise of overlapping signals in dense networks by precisely adjusting the phases of each element to cancel out undesired interference at particular locations. The RIS can reduce interference by dynamically updating and calculating the required phase shifts, effectively avoiding undesired signal overlap in real time. Here, null steering and other techniques that shape the signal to prevent disturbing other users are crucial. This application enhances overall service quality while effectively using available spectrum, which is important in urban settings where users frequently compete for clean signal space.
Coverage Extension:
Particularly indoors or in urban areas where buildings or other structures may block signals, RIS panels can efficiently bend and redirect wireless signals to increase the reach of current base stations. This prevents dead zones without adding additional transmitters and guarantees that the network’s quality of service is maintained consistently. As user locations or environmental conditions shift, the reflecting qualities of the RIS require real-time tuning to ensure a steady connection. Since RIS removes the need for additional infrastructure, using it to enhance coverage is an economical and energy-efficient alternative.
Cost Efficiency and Energy Efficiency:
Relay nodes and expensive base stations may not be necessary when employing RIS technologies. Operators may guarantee coverage and signal quality with well-placed RIS panels without resorting to invest in large infrastructure expenditures. This is especially attractive when it comes to extending coverage to remote locations or places where it is not financially viable to deploy conventional infrastructure.
With its ability to more precisely steer signals towards their intended target, RIS is revolutionizing energy-saving in wireless networks and enabling transmitters to reduce their output power. The objectives of sustainable communication are met by this specific structure, which lessens needless energy dispersion. The advantages also apply to mobile devices, which would use less power, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, where RIS may play a significant role in preserving energy for a large number of linked devices. After addressing an optimization problem that takes into account the intended power outcomes, device capabilities, and channel condition, the ideal design for this energy-saving function can be identified.
Indoor Wireless Communications:
By dynamically guiding signals to compensate for common indoor signal degradations such as fading and barriers losses from walls and windows, RIS enhances indoor wireless communications. These intelligent surfaces may be included into the interior design of a building and altered to reflect signals into regions that are usually underserved by coverage. The flexibility of RIS to adjust itself can be especially useful in interior areas that experience dynamic changes since it can provide consistent signal quality without requiring a large number of in-building transmitters. Applications seeking strong wireless links might benefit tremendously from RIS’s ability to strengthen reception in specific locations by concentrating on generating constructive interference.
Enhanced Security:
Utilizing RIS, communication signals can be restricted to specific areas, increasing security through diminishing the number of potential places for signal interception by eavesdroppers. Utilizing a focused beam technique, a secure transmission zone is created by significantly reducing the signal’s exposure to possible eavesdroppers. This feature is particularly crucial in situations where transmitting sensitive data necessitates minimizing the chance of interception. By controlling how wireless signals spread, the RIS can help protect the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted by limiting the communication’s detection to intended recipients within a designated area.
*Turkcell 6Gen Lab is supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) through the 1515 Frontier Research and Development Laboratories Support Program under Project 5229901–6GEN. Lab: 6G and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
