An Analytical Model of Microcellular Propagation in Urban Canyons

The fast growth of cellular coverage demand for multimedia services based on wireless communication requires an increasing use of microcells to guarantee the satisfactory connectivity. In urban environments, especially in old town centres, the application of this solution is heavily limited by difficulties concerning coverage prediction and planning. The purpose of this paper is the investigation, development and testing of an analytical propagation model based on 2D ray-tracing approach for path loss prediction. Formulas are derived taking into account multiple reflections along street walls as well as diffractions at street corners, while ground reflections are neglected. Validation of the model has been carried out by using a data set collected during a measurement campaign in Genoa's old town centre.