Beyond 5G: Comprehensive Radio Network Coverage/Capacity Planning for Subway Station Indoor scenario using RIS/Massive MIMO

The deployment of 5G networks has improved indoor coverage, especially in subway stations. However, these environments pose challenges due to their complexity, high user density, signal losses, and costs of distributed antenna systems (DAS). This paper presents a beyond 5G (B5G) methodology for network planning using reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas in sub- 6 GHz and mmW ave frequencies, adhering to ETSI standards, and considering that sub- 6 GHz has greater coverage and penetration than mmWave. Detailed planning and simulations for La Pradera Metro station in Quito were conducted using the 5G indoor-hotspot (In-H) model and validated with Winprop. Our results show enhanced coverage/capacity over 191.75 m², achieving peak throughput between 2.34 and 4.73 Gbps, significantly improving user service quality. This paper provides advanced indoor network design methodologies, offering insights for future 5G and B5G implementations.