An analytical model for predicting path loss in urban and suburban environments

An analytical propagation model has previously been developed to predict radio signal attenuation in urban and suburban environments. Most of the traditional models commonly used for macrocellular system design are empirical, which account for radio signal attenuation between base and mobile stations using a simple slope-intercept approach. Unlike the empirical models, the analytical model explicates the path loss in urban and suburban environments as a result of signal reduction due to free space wave front spreading, multiple diffraction past rows of buildings, as well as building shadowing. Since the dependence on frequency, base station antenna height, mobile station antenna height, building height and street width are analytically explicit, this model is applicable for cellular as well as PCS applications in both macro and micro cellular environments. Good accuracy was found for this analytical model by comparing the predictions with numerous measurements made in various propagation environments. However, since the analytical model involves multiple dimension integration to calculate the signal attenuation due to multiple diffraction past rows of buildings, the model in its original format does not lend itself to be easily implemented into a radio system planning tool. To meet the needs of fast assessment of cell coverage, co-channel/adjacent channel interference, and system capacity, a simplified version of the analytical model is developed in this paper, which can be used for three different propagation scenarios with base station antenna above, below and near the average rooftop level.