Channel capacity measurement of 8 x 2 MIMO transmission by antenna configurations in an actual cellular environment

Experimental results are presented for an 8 x 2 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel in an actual cellular environment. This paper focuses in particular on the characteristics of the channel capacity based on the number of antennas and the difference in antenna polarizations, i.e., vertical, vertical and horizontal, and slanted +/- 45 degrees, at both the base and the terminal stations. The antenna configuration with the +/- 45 degrees slanted polarization achieves the highest channel capacity when the number of array antennas is less than four at the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) from 5 to 40 dB in an actual outdoor environment. Moreover, we onfirni that the most effective antenna configuration changes based on the SNR or the number of antennas at the base station.