EMPIRICAL PATH LOSS PROPAGATION MODEL OF URBAN WIRELESS CELLULAR ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Radio propagation prediction is one of the fundamentals of radio network planning for future generation communication systems. It is therefore vital that the propagation prediction models are as accurate as possible taking into account the practical limitations that characterized the propagation environment. Propagation path loss models helps to specify key system parameters such as transmission power, frequency, antenna heights, and so on. This work sets out to predict the path loss of a WCDMA cellular network in urban propagation environment of Awka, Anambra State. TEMS software installed in a Laptop computer was used to carry out Received Signal Strength measurements up to 700m from the base station, for a period of ten months, from GLO network. Measured values were used to estimate the path loss exponent used to develop an empirical path loss prediction model suitable for the radio transmission environment under study.