EIRP-Based Ray Tracing Simulation and Experimental EMF Exposure Assessment of Operational 5G-NR MaMIMO Base Stations

Abstract

Accurate electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure assessment in operational fifth generation new radio (5G-NR) networks is challenging because most approaches rely on static or worst-case transmission assumptions, creating a gap between simulations and real-world measurements that this study bridges. We validate ray-tracing (RT) simulations for exposure estimation from 5G-NR massive multiple-input multiple output (MaMIMO) antennas operating in the 3.7–3.8 GHz frequency range 1 (FR1) band by integrating equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) values recorded by base station antenna (BSA) counters. Using operational EIRP data enables realistic modelling of dynamic network behaviour and reduces uncertainty in line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios. In-situ EMF measurements performed according to IEC 62232 serve as a benchmark for evaluating simulation accuracy while considering the 4 dB target expanded uncertainty. Results show a median deviation of 1.6–3.8 dB between EIRP-based simulations and measurements, demonstrating good agreement, while the measured and estimated exposure levels remain well below International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) limits, with a maximum of 0.6 %.