Characterisation of Signal Penetration into Buildings for GSM and UMTS

A study of the extra signal attenuation due to building penetration associated to path loss from the base stations to mobile terminals, for different types of buildings and rooms is presented for GSM (900 and 1800 MHz) and UMTS. In this study, a statistical model for the attenuation penetration is developed, following the log-normal distribution, applied to a building classification, and supported on measurements of the actual systems under consideration, which can be used for radio network planning purposes. Different types of buildings (High-Integrated, High-Isolated, Low-Integrated, and Low-Isolated) and rooms (Indoor Light, Indoor, Deep Indoor) are considered. A study on the variation of the attenuation per floor, room and building type is performed. An average attenuation of 5.7 dB for GSM900 is observed, with a standard deviation of 11.1 dB.