Path loss model fitting for TV bands based on experimental measurements for urban environments in Kosovo

Abstract

Signal attenuation due to path loss can significantly affect the quality of a wireless communication link. This makes path loss measurement and estimation an important aspect when designing wireless communication systems. However, accurate values for path loss are rarely readily available, as they heavily depend on a range of factors such as line-of-sight conditions, terrain, environment and transmitter and receiver positions and height. To this end, it is much more practical to use path loss models to estimate the expected value of path loss in a certain environment, instead of actual measured values. In this paper, we use experimental data of received power levels emitted by TV broadcasters in the UHF and VHF bands, and compare them to known and widely used path loss models such as Hata, Ericsson, COST and Egli, in order to identify which propagation models best fit our urban environment. Measurement locations were selected to represent various environments within the urban area of Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo. Our results show that for short distances (up to $\sim 20$ km), Hata model exhibits lower values of RMSE compared to measured values, while for longer distances (above $\sim 20$ km), Ericsson model is the better fit.