UTD-based model for prediction of propagation path loss and shadowing variability in urban mobile environments

Abstract

A new uniform-theory-of-diffraction- (UTD-) based approach for cellular-mobile-radio-propagation modelling is presented. Buildings are represented as conducting halfplanes or screens, and the model includes the effect of building-height variation along all intervening screens between base station and mobile. The proposed model has low computational complexity and could be applicable to small urban cells over regular terrain, with buildings of nonuniform height. It is shown that results from the model are in very close agreement with experimental observations, and that they accurately predict observed trends in the dependence of path loss and its variability on frequency, range, building-height variation and screen spacing.