An optimised axial-mode helical antenna at 2.3 GHz for 5G signal enhancement in Suburban Areas

Abstract

This study aims to design, fabricate, and validate an axial-mode helical antenna for enhancing 5G cellular signals at 2.3 GHz, specifically to address signal attenuation in suburban areas caused by base station distance, vegetation attenuation, and propagation obstacles. Unlike previous helical antenna designs that achieved gains below 11 dBi or operated outside 5G frequency allocations, the proposed antenna was designed using computer simulation technology (CST) microwave studio and fabricated with 10 copper turns of an optimized winding diameter for 2.3 GHz operation, equipped with a triangular tapered strip as an impedance-matching element that generates circular polarization effective for mitigating suburban multipath fading. Simulation results demonstrate a return loss of −24.55 dB, a VSWR of 1.125, and a gain of 12.45 dBi, while measurements of the fabricated prototype confirm this performance with a return loss of −20.1 dB and a VSWR of 1.26, yielding a simulation–measurement deviation of 4.45 dB that remains within standard fabrication tolerances. Analysis confirms stable unidirectional radiation and sufficient gain to compensate for suburban propagation losses. The principal contributions are: (i) an optimized tapered-strip axial-mode helical antenna for 2.3 GHz suburban 5G, (ii) quantitative simulation–measurement validation, and (iii) a compact design without complex active components.