5G and Radar Coexistence: Demonstrating Pulsed Radar Interference and 5G Performance Metrics

The escalating demand for wireless spectrum necessitates more effective coexistence strategies between commercial 5G networks and incumbent radar systems. Unlike traditional approaches that permit spectrum access to only one system at a time, this demonstration directly investigates the real time performance impacts on 5G communications under simultaneous radar interference. Our approach leverages a low cost, flexible, and modular experimental platform integrating commercial user equipment (UE) and software defined radios (SDRs). The demonstration highlights the effects of pulsed radar interference on key 5G metrics including UE throughput, uplink (UL) SINR, and downlink (DL) SNR, through live spectrum visualization and performance monitoring. Iterative test cycles allow systematic variation of radar parameters such as pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and duty cycles, fostering interactive discussions on practical coexistence scenarios. Preliminary results illustrate that simultaneous radar and 5G operation is feasible under certain conditions, providing valuable insights into optimizing future spectrum sharing deployments.