An Ubiquitous 2.6 GHz Radio Propagation Model for Wireless Networks Using Self-Supervised Learning From Satellite Images

Abstract

The performance of any Mobile Wireless Network (MWN) is dependent on the appropriate level of radio coverage, with Path Loss (PL) models being a valuable resource for its evaluation. Recently, advancements in Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have been applied to radio propagation to produce new data-driven PL models. Notoriously, these advancements have also allowed the inclusion of non-classical inputs, such as satellite images. However, data-driven PL models are often developed under the assumption that training and test data distributions are similar, which is a weak assumption in real-world scenarios. Thus, generalization (i.e., the model’s ability to perform on different data distributions) is a crucial aspect of data-driven PL models in the context of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). This paper proposes a new data-driven PL model, the Ubiquitous Satellite Aided Radio Propagation (USARP) model, developed to enhance the geographical generalization capabilities of empirical PL models, by using satellite images. The USARP model considers self-supervised learning to extract general data representations of the radio environment from satellite images, improving the PL prediction Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) PL model in the order of 9 dB, and for a data distribution distinct from the training data. Moreover, it was demonstrated the potential of the USARP model in terms of geographical and radio environment generalization. Although the generalization capabilities of ML regression algorithms are limited, the chosen USARP architecture and the use of regularization techniques had a positive impact on its geographical generalization performance.