Integration and Performance Evaluation of 5G NR Band 71 (600 MHz)

Integration and Performance Evaluation of 5G NR Band 71 (600 MHz)

Muhammad Arif Saeed (1), Noaman Tauq (2), Mohammed Babar Ahmed (3)

Saudi Telecom Company

AbstractThis paper presents the results of a proof-of-concept (POC) trial conducted for the integration of 5G NR Band 71 (600 MHz, N71) cells into a live commercial network in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The trial site XYZ was equipped with Nokia AirScale Dual RRH (AHLOA) modules supporting Bands 12 and 71, alongside CommScope FF-65CR1 low-band antennas. Drive test campaigns and static measurement tests were per-formed using calibrated measurement equipment to assess radio frequency (RF) performance across key indicators including Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Re-ceived Quality (RSRQ), Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR), Block Error Rate (BLER), Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), and both downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) throughput. Comparative analysis was carried out against the incumbent N28 (700 MHz) deployment and between 2×2 MIMO and 4×4 MIMO congurations of N71. Results demonstrate that N71 with 4×4 MIMO achieves average DL throughput of 156.9 Mbps a 225% improvement over N28 and peak speeds of 272 Mbps DL- 115 Mbps UL under camping conditions, with SgNB addition success ratios of 100% across all bands. The network-level KPI analysis conrms that all 5G performance indicators are within acceptable operational ranges, validating N71 as a viable low-band complement for enhanced coverage and capacity in the STC 5G network.

Index Terms5G NR; Band 71; N71; 600 MHz; Low-band 5G; AHLOA; MIMO; Drive Test; RSRP; SINR; Throughput; KPI.

1. Introduction

   The global deployment of fth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) networks has accelerated signicantly over recent years, driven by the need for higher data rates, ultra-low latency, and massive device connectivity. While mid-band spectrum (3.5 GHz) and mmWave frequencies have received considerable attention for capacity-centric deployments, low-band spectrum occupies a critical role in providing wide-area coverage, deep indoor penetration, and robust signal propagation charac-teristics that are indispensable in geographically diverse and densely built environments.

   Band 71 (N71), operating at 600 MHz, is a 3GPP-dened frequency band originally licensed in North America and in-creasingly being explored globally for its superior propagation characteristics. As mobile operators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) expand their 5G footprints, the integration of N71 alongside existing N28 (700 MHz), N40 (2.3 GHz), and N78 (3.5 GHz) cells presents an opportunity to address coverage gaps and offer a more uniform quality of experience across a broader service area.

   This paper documents a proof-of-concept (POC) trial jointly conducted at site XYZ in the Makkah cluster, Saudi Arabia. The objective was to integrate three N71 cells using Nokias

   AirScale AHLOA RF modules and CommScope FF-65CR1 antennas, and to rigorously evaluate the RF and network-level performance through structured drive test campaigns and KPI monitoring. The study makes the following contributions: (1) Characterization of the RF performance of N71 (RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, BLER, CQI) relative to the existing deployment of N28. (2) Comparative evaluation of N71 in 2×2 MIMO versus 4×4 MIMO congurations for DL and UL throughput. (3) Network-level KPI analysis across all co-located bands (N78, N40, N28, N71) using operator counters. (4) Demonstration of peak throughput achievable with N71 under optimal UE camping conditions.

2. OBJECTIVE AND TRIAL SETUP

   1. Objective

      Low-band spectrum for 5G NR has been the subject of substantial research and standardization activity within 3GPP Release 15 and beyond. Band 71 was originally allocated in the United States following the FCCs 600 MHz incentive auction (2017) and was adopted by T-Mobile US as the primary coverage layer of its nationwide 5G network. Its propagation characteristics wavelength approximately 50 cm, lower free-space path loss compared to mid-band frequencies enable cell ranges exceeding 10 km in open terrain and robust building penetration of up to 1015 dB additional gain over

      3.5 GHz.

      Several studies have examined low-band 5G performance in various deployment scenarios. Qualcomm Technologies (2019) demonstrated that low-band 5G networks [?] can achieve coverage improvements of 24x compared to mid-band de-ployments while maintaining sub-10 ms latency. Field trials by Ericsson and T-Mobile conrmed that 600 MHz 5G provides consistent throughput of 100200 Mbps at cell edges where mid-band signals are unavailable.

      In the context of GCC/MENA deployments, N28 (700 MHz) has historically served as the primary low-band anchor for 4G LTE and early 5G NR non-standalone (NSA) congurations. The addition of N71 in markets that allocate this spectrum introduces a complementary low-band layer with 20 MHz channel bandwidth double the typical N28 deployment in the region enabling higher spectral efciency and improved MIMO performance.

      To date, limited published research exists on N71 integration in the Arabian Peninsula context, where unique environmental factors high ambient temperatures, dense urban morphol-ogy, and hajj-driven seasonal trafc demands present spe-cic challenges. This study addresses that gap by providing empirical eld trial data from a live STC network site.

   2. Trail Clusters

      The trail was conducted across a cluster of ve The trial was conducted at macrocell site ZMKAXYZ located within the MAKKAH cluster, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The site is a rooftop/tower installation serving a dense residential area with mixed low-rise and medium-rise building morphology. Prior to the N71 integration, the site carried three legacy bands: N78 (3.5 GHz), N40 (2.3 GHz), and N28 (700 MHz), all operating in 5G NR NSA mode anchored to LTE..

   3. Hardware Conguration

      Three Nokia AirScale Dual RRH B12/71 240W (AHLOA) modules were introduced at the site one per sector. The AHLOA is a dual-band RF module supporting 3GPP Bands 12 and 71 simultaneously, with the key specications sum-marized as follows: output power of 60W per TX shared between bands; 4 TX/RX ports supporting 2T2R, 2T4R, and 4T4R MIMO congurations; optical CPRI interface at 2x 9.8 Gbps; supply voltage range DC -48V to -60V; IP65 ingress protection; and an operational temperature range of -40°C to

      +55°C (without solar load).

      New low-band sector antennas (CommScope FF-65CR1) were installed on each sector. This is a 4-port, single-band antenna operating across 617806 MHz with 65° horizontal beamwidth, gain of 15.4 dBi at 617698 MHz and 15.6 dBi at 698806 MHz, and support for Remote Electrical Tilt (RET). The antennas coverage of the full 617806 MHz range provides forward compatibility for both N71 and N28 frequency layers.

   4. Tools Used

   Performance evaluation of the N71 deployment was carried out using a mix of eld testing and network-level analysis to get a complete view of its impact. Drive tests were performed using commercial user devices to measure real-time radio conditions and throughput in both stationary and mobility scenarios. During these tests, key radio indicators such as RSRP, SINR, CQI, and throughput were collected to assess coverage quality and the end-user experience.

   The collected drive test data was then processed using specialized analysis tools, which helped visualize performance and compare results cross different network layers. In ad-dition to eld measurements, OSS KPIs were reviewed to understand network-wide trends, including trafc distribution, resource usage, and changes in user behavior before and after N71 activation. Crowd-sourced Ookla speed test data was also used to validate the actual throughput experienced by users in real-world conditions.

   By combining eld measurements, OSS statistics, and crowd-sourced results, the evaluation provided both technical and user-focused insights. This approach made it possible to accurately assess how the N71 layer improved coverage, uplink performance, and overall network efciency.

3. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

   The performance improvements observed after deploying the N71 (600 MHz) layer are mainly due to the inherent

   advantages of low-frequency spectrum. Lower frequency sig-nals experience less propagation loss and can travel longer distances than higher frequency bands. They also penetrate buildings, walls, and other obstacles more effectively, making them particularly suitable for improving coverage in rural areas, at cell edges, and inside buildings. As a result, users experience stronger signal levels and more reliable connectiv-ity in locations where mid-band frequencies may struggle to provide consistent service. In wireless networks, user through-put depends on both the amount of available spectrum and how efciently that spectrum is utilized. This relationship can be expressed as:

   [Throughput = Bandwidth × Spectral Efciency] (1)

   Although N71 typically operates with a smaller bandwidth compared to mid-band 5G carriers, its superior coverage characteristics create more favorable radio conditions for users. Better signal quality allows devices to maintain stable con-nections and use network resources more efciently, which helps improve throughput consistency, particularly in uplink communications. The impact of signal quality on network performance can be further explained using the Shannon Capacity Theorem:

   [C = B log2(1 + SNR)] (2)

   where (C) represents channel capacity, (B) is the channel bandwidth, and SNR is the signal-to-noise ratio. While wider bandwidths generally provide greater capacity, a good SNR is equally important for achieving higher data rates. The N71 layer improves SNR in coverage-limited areas by providing stronger and more reliable signal strength, enabling users to maintain better performance even in challenging radio environments. Another important advantage of N71 is its de-ployment using Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) technology. In FDD systems, separate frequency channels are assigned for uplink and downlink transmissions, allowing both directions to operate simultaneously. This differs from Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, where uplink and downlink share the same radio resources over time. The dedicated uplink resources available in FDD improve uplink efciency and can deliver noticeable performance gains, especially during periods of high network utilization. In modern multi-band networks, N71 can also be combined with other LTE and 5G carriers through Carrier Aggregation (CA). The total available bandwidth can be expressed as:

   [Btotal = B1 + B2 + ··· + Bn] (3)

   where (B1, B2, …, Bn) represent the bandwidths of the aggregated carriers. In this conguration, N71 provides a strong coverage foundation, while higher-frequency carriers contribute additional capacity. This combination helps improve trafc distribution, increase overall network capacity, and enhance user experience. However, the actual benets depend on factors such as device capabilities, supported carrier combi-nations, and network conguration. Overall, the deployment of the N71 layer strengthens network coverage, improves indoor

   service quality, enhances uplink performance, and supports better trafc balancing across the network. These improve-ments are consistent with established wireless communication principles and demonstrate the value of low-band spectrum in expanding 5G coverage while maintaining a reliable and efcient user experience.

4. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

   1. Drive Test RF Performance

      Table I presents the aggregated drive test KPI summary across the three test congurations. All measurements were collected over identical drive routes covering the site XYZ service area. Table II presents the measured throughput perfor-mance. RSRP: N71 demonstrates a statistically signicant im-

      TABLE I

      DRIVE TEST KPI SUMMARY

      Metric	N28	N71 2×2	N71 4×4
      Avg RSRP(dbm)	-81.5	-79.6	-77.83
      Avg RSRQ(dB)	-11.02	-11.15	-11.09
      Avg SINR(dB)	12.9	12.4	11.8
      Avg DL BLER(%)	9.2	7.4	6.6
      Avg CQI	11.9	11.8	11.1
      Avg DL Throughput(MbpS)	48.2	129.4	156.9
      Avg UL Throughput(MbpS)	18.1	52.8	62.2
      Peak DL (Ookla)(MbpS)	N/A	272	272
      Peak UL (Ookla)(MbpS)	N/A	115	115

      provement in average RSRP over N28, with N71 4×4 recording

      -77.83 dBm versus -81.5 dBm for N28 an improvement of

      3.67 dB. This is attributed to the 20 MHz channel bandwidth of N71 (versus 10 MHz for N28 at this site), which, combined with a higher effective transmit power spectral density, results in improved received signal levels across the coverage area. The RSRP distribution maps conrm near-universal green/blue coverage (above -85 dBm) throughout the test route for both N71 congurations.

      SINR: Average SINR values are comparable across all three congurations (11.812.9 dB), indicating that the introduction of N71 does not adversely affect the interference environment. The marginally lower SINR observed for N71 2×2 (11.8 dB) compared to N28 (12.4 dB) is within measurement uncertainty and does not represent a statistically meaningful degradation. BLER values conrm this picture, with N71 4×4 achieving the lowest average DL BLER of 6.6% versus 9.2% for N28, indicating cleaner link quality and more efcient modulation and coding scheme (MCS) selection.

      DL Throughput: The most signicant performance differ-entiator is downlink throughput. N71 4×4 MIMO achieves an average of 156.9 Mbps a 225.1% improvement over the N28 baseline of 48.2 Mbps. N71 2×2 yields 129.4 Mbps, a 168.5% improvement. The throughput gain is driven by two compounding factors: (1) the doubled channel bandwidth (20 MHz vs 10 MHz), which theoretically doubles the available spectral resources; and (2) the 4×4 MIMO spatial multiplexing gain, which enables simultaneous transmission of up to four independent data streams.

      UL Throughput: Uplink gains follow the same trend, with N71 4×4 delivering 62.2 Mbps versus 18.1 Mbps for N28

      (244% improvement). This is of particular relevance for upload-intensive applications such as video conferencing, live streaming, and cloud synchronization, which are increasingly prominent use cases in high-density venues such as those surrounding the Masjid al-Haram.

      Peak Performance: Under UE camping conditions (cell lock to N71), Ookla Speedtest recorded peak speeds of 272 Mbps DL and 115 Mbps UL performance levels consistent with single-carrier 20 MHz 5G NR theoretical limits under high-MCS conditions. The HONOR MAGIC PGT-N19 consumer device achieved an average RSRP of -76 dBm and average DL throughput of 122.8 Mbps, demonstrating that N71 per-formance is accessible on commercial off-the-shelf hansets without specialized test hardware.

   2. Static Test Results

      Static tests at both near-point (close to the antenna) and far-point (cell edge) locations conrm the bandwidth advantage of N71. At near-point, N71 4×4 achieves approximately 195 Mbps DL versus 95 Mbps for N28 a factor of 2.05x gain consistent with the 2:1 bandwidth ratio. At far-point, the N71 advantage is even more pronounced due to the superior propagation of 600 MHz, with N71 4×4 maintaining usable throughput where N28 suffers coverage degradation. In both UL scenarios, N71 4×4 consistently outperforms N71 2×2, conrming that the additional MIMO streams contribute meaningfully to uplink capacity.

   3. Network KPI Analysis

   Table II presents the hourly KPI comparison across all four co-located bands, derived from operator network management counters during the MDT window. All bands recorded a 100% SgNB addition preparation success ratio, conrming successful integration and stable operation of the N71 cells.

   Table II presents the measured throughput performance. N71 demonstrates an average MAC-layer DL user throughput

   TABLE II

   NETWORK KPI COMPARISON ACROSS BANDS

   KPI	N78	N40	N71
   SgNB Add Requests	2328	3526	1082
   SgNB Add Success Ratio [%]	100	100	100
   DL Data Volume [MB]	82,047	46,589	9,397
   UL Data Volume [MB]	642	1,996	262
   Avg DL User Throughput [Mbps]	24	35	30
   Avg UL User Throughput [Mbps]	1	1	4
   PRB Utilization PDSCH [%]	28	31	11
   PRB Utilization PUSCH [%]	9	23	2

   of 30 Mbps the second highest among the four bands, behind N40 (35 Mbps) but ahead of N78 (24 Mbps) and signicantly outperforming N28 (11 Mbps). The relatively lower N71 trafc volume (9,397 MB DL vs 82,047 MB for N78) is explained by the fact that N71 priority was congured at baseline levels throughout most of the observation window; a temporary priority increase during a 2-hour daytime MDT window resulted in an observable trafc shift to N71, conrm-ing normal cell selection and trafc steering behavior.

   Cell availability ratio remained at 100% throughout the 24-hour monitoring period for all three N71 sectors, and no unplanned cell outages, RACH failures, or handover degradation events were recorded. Both contention-based and contention-free RACH setup success rates remained close to 100%, demonstrating stable random access performance. Intra-frequency intra-gNB intra-DU handover success rates also remained at 100% during the limited handover events observed during the MDT window.

   CQI values averaged approximately 1012 throughout the monitoring period, consistent with moderate-to-good channel conditions and enabling high-order modulation (64QAM/256QAM) for a signicant fraction of scheduled transmissions. BLER DL initial values remained below 15% with residual BLER below 3%, conrming effective HARQ operation and adaptive link adaptation.

5. DISCUSSION

   The trial results conrm several key hypotheses regarding the value of N71 as a low-band 5G layer:

   Coverage Enhancement: The 3.7 dB RSRP improvement of N71 over N28, combined with the larger service area observable in the drive test route maps, supports the case for N71 as a primary coverage layer. At 600 MHz, the additional propagation loss relative to 700 MHz (N28) is minimal ( 0.7 dB at equal EIRP), but the doubled bandwidth enables higher throughput at equivalent or better coverage levels.

   MIMO Efciency: The 21.3% DL throughput gain of N71 4×4 over N71 2×2 (156.9 vs 129.4 Mbps) is lower than the theoretical 2x factor, which is expected due to spatial channel correlation in an urban macro environment. Nevertheless, the real-world gain is substantial and justies the deployment cost of 4T4R capable AHLOA modules. For UL, the 17.8% gain (62.2 vs 52.8 Mbps) is similarly consistent with published MIMO efciency curves for low-band frequencies.

   Trafc Steering: The observation that N71 trafc volume increased sharply only following a temporary priority change highlights the importance of correctly conguring cell selec-tion and reselection offsets (A3/A5 event thresholds, frequency priority parameters) in the nal production deployment. Future optimization work should focus on dening appropriate B1/B2 measurement thresholds to achieve optimal load balancing between N78, N40, N28, and N71.

   Thermal and Hardware Reliability: The AHLOA module demonstrated stable operation throughout the trial with no thermal-related degradations recorded, despite ambient tem-peratures in Makkah potentially exceeding the modules rated 55°C solar load threshold during peak daytime hours. Con-tinued monitoring during summer months is recommended to assess long-term thermal behavior.

6. Conclusion

This paper has presented a comprehensive proof-of-concept evaluation of Nokias AirScale N71 (600 MHz) 5G NR integration within STCs live network at Site XYZ, Makkah

, Saudi Arabia. The trial demonstrates that N71 integration is technically successful, with all network KPIs within acceptable

operational ranges and 100% service availability throughout the trial period.

Key quantitative ndings include: a 225% improvement in average DL throughput over N28 with N71 4×4 MIMO (156.9 vs 48.2 Mbps); a 244% UL throughput gain (62.2 vs 18.1 Mbps); peak speeds of 272 Mbps DL / 115 Mbps UL under camping conditions; and consistent 34 dB RSRP improve-ment across the drive test area. The 100% SgNB addition preparation success ratio and RACH setup success rates across all four co-located bands conrm seamless integration with the existing multi-band 5G NSA architecture.

These results establish N71 as a high-value low-band 5G layer for STCs network, offering a combination of wide-area coverage, superior indoor penetration, and substantially higher throughput than the incumbent N28 deployment enabled by the doubled 20 MHz channel bandwidth and 4T4R MIMO capability of the AHLOA platform. The authors recommend a phased network-wide N71 rollout prioritizing high-density urban areas and pilgrimage sites, with careful attention to trafc steering parameter optimization to maximize N71 utilization.

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