Reliable Underground-to-Aboveground Communications with Magnetic Transmitters and Electric Receivers

Abstract Unlike conventional electric- or magnetic-antenna transceiver systems, the magnetic transmitters and electric receivers (MTER) system jointly exploits the induction and radiation fields, providing a new solution to enable both deep underground transmission and long-range aboveground communication. However, the maximum reliable aboveground coverage achievable by MTER-enabled UG2AG communications has not yet been systematically studied, which is essential for guiding transmitter configuration and practical gateway deployment. In this paper, we develop a reliability-oriented framework to maximize the aboveground coverage of MTER-enabled UG2AG communication through transmitter configuration and operating-frequency design. Specifically, we first establish a reliable-coverage model that links the MTER link characteristics to the achievable aboveground communication range. Furthermore, we determine the transmitter configuration and operating frequency to maximize the reliable coverage under practical system constraints. Finally, we evaluate the proposed solution under different underground environments and validate the MTER link through a field experiment in an underground mine. The results show that transmitter configuration optimization can effectively extend the reliable aboveground coverage, and the optimal transmitter configuration is environment-dependent. In addition, the MTER link can support successful end-to-end data transmission in a realistic underground environment.