IMPLICATIONS FOR LOCATION PRIVACY IN 5G

As cellular technology continues to advance, Fifth Generation (5G) delivers a network capacity and speed to mobile devices unmatched by its predecessors. This heterogeneous network has improved efficiency that connects multiple platforms to create a new experience for its users. The new improvements introduced by 5G also include the increased bands into mmWave and beamforming capabilities that significantly improve the efficiency of 5G. With these improvements, location-based services are more accurate, but also lead to increased vulnerabilities. Location-based attacks via the uplink timing management commands have been studied in previous networks and are susceptible in 5G due to the nearly unchanged timing management structure and increased location accuracy. This thesis comprehensively analyzes cellular positioning, which leverages the 5G timing advance and beamforming for the end user's location. We evaluated the efficiency of varying remote radio heads in an environment to find the most precise location error with the new addition of beamforming. Additionally, we demonstrate how architectural density affects the position estimate in the 5G environment.
Lieutenant, United States Navy
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