Described herein are integrated circuit structures having a package substrate with microstrip transmission lines as the top metallization layer, and a ground plane external to the package substrate that is electrically connected to a ground plane internal to the package substrate, as well as related devices and methods. In one aspect of the present disclosure, an integrated circuit structure may include a package substrate having an internal ground plane and a microstrip signal layer as the top metallization layer, and an external ground plane on the surface of the package substrate that is electrically connected to the internal ground plane in the package substrate. In another aspect of the present disclosure, an integrated circuit structure may further include changes to microstrip transmission line geometry to match impedance values of areas covered by the external ground plane with impedance values of areas not covered by the external ground plane.