Analyzing 5G Network Performance: A Case of Bangkok's Iconic Shopping Mall

This study conducted field tests in stationary mode at a major shopping mall in Bangkok. It utilizes two 5G smartphones and service packages from two mobile network operators (MNOs), later called MNO-X and MNO-Y, to assess 5G Quality of Service (QoS) in three zones: an indoor high zone, an indoor low zone, and an outdoor pier zone. Each MNO was tested 36 times in each zone, focusing on download (DL) and upload (UL) rates, as well as latency. Results show that MNO-Y provided higher average DL rates and lower latency than MNO-X, while MNO-X provided a higher average UL rate. Significant differences in QoS parameters between zones were also analyzed using ANOVA and t-Tests, highlighting variances likely influenced by differences in in-building coverage (IBC) and distributed antenna systems (DAS). The findings suggest that indoor QoS for DL and latency generally are better than outdoor levels, whereas UL performances were stronger outdoors. Future research is recommended to investigate technical aspects of IBC and DAS in large-scale buildings, such as major shopping malls.