2010 Sixth International Conference on Wireless and Mobile Communications

Path Loss Analysis for 3G Mobile Networks for Urban and Rural Regions of Mauritius
Armoogum Vinaye, University of Technology, Mauritius La Tour Koenig, Mauritius E-mail: varmoogum@utm.intnet.mu Armoogum Sheeba, University of Mauritius Reduit, Mauritius E-mail: s.armoogum@uom.ac.mu
Abstract - In view of designing any mobile network system, the fundamental task is to predict the coverage of the proposed system. A wide variety of approaches have been developed over the years to predict coverage using what are known as propagation models. In this paper, we compare the measured path loss obtained for the sub-urban areas with that for the rural areas and then with four propagation models, that is, Clutter, Lee, Okumura-Hata and Extended COST-231. Firstly, for both areas, the results show that the path loss is not constant at various locations for a constant distance around the respective base transceiver station (BTS) showing that the terrain of Mauritius is irregular. The effects of multipath are more pronounced in the rural than causing higher probability of signal errors. Secondly, we find that Lee model is not in agreement with the values obtained for both regions. Observations show that the Clutter model gives better agreement for rural regions. However, observations show that the Okumura-Hata gives better agreement for all rural, suburban and urban regions, hence, it can be used to model any region in Mauritius. Keywords BT; Electric Field Strength; Path Loss; Propagation Model; 3G.

Munnee Ramraj, Huawei Technologies, Mauritius Ebene City, Mauritius E-mail: rmunnee@huawei.com

I. INTRODUCTION Mauritius is a tropical and volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, located in the Southern Hemisphere. The central plateau, which is not really flat, gradually rises towards the south west where it reaches its highest point with the Piton de la Rivire Noire peak at 800 m [1,2]. The plateau is still surrounded with craters in the form of a chain of mountains and some isolated peaks [1]. The island, which is separated by sea pits of 4000 m depth, has emerged from the abysses as a result of gigantic underwater volcanic eruptions that occurred thousands of kilometres to the east of Madagascar island [2,3]. The whole terrain is irregular and with numerous mountains and hills and gorges. The category of the terrain in this paper is based on the ITU-R, Geneva 1997 [4]. Buildings, houses, sugar cane plantation and trees are scattered in various parts of Mauritius. We have conducted similar work for digital television broadcast in 2005-2009 at UHF frequencies [1,5]. In these papers, we described how an intensive work was conducted in two key areas of the island using a larger amount of measuring data. The main aim was to study the variation of the path loss at various locations in the south and compare them with those from the north. The results obtained were also compared with
978-0-7695-4182-2/10 $26.00 2010 IEEE DOI 10.1109/ICWMC.2010.73 164

the empirical models Free-Space, Hata [6], Extended COST231 [7] and Lee [8]. We found that that the path loss is not constant at various locations for a constant distance around the respective base station showing that the terrain of Mauritius is irregular. Moreover, for the same antenna height, the path loss is higher in the south than in the north by 5 dB to 20 dB depending upon the distance from the station. Finally we found that Hata and Extended COST 231 models give better agreement and hence, could be used to model areas in Mauritius. Prasad and Iqbal et al. [9,10] had carried out similar work in Southern India using VHF/UHF bands while Arrinda, Ma Velez, Angueira, De la Vega, and Ordiales, [11,12] had done the same in Spain. In this work, we will do a comparative analysis of path loss for 3G networks for urban and rural regions of Mauritius. The rural regions chosen are the South (the village of Chemin Grenier (CG) and its outskirts) and the North (the region of Goodlands (GD) and its surroundings). The urban region chosen is the city of Port Louis (PL)-the capital of Mauritius. Port Louis is considered as urban area due to the high number of closely packed tall buildings (obstacles) and high population density. The results obtained will be compared with models such as Clutter Factor, Okumura-Hata [6], Extended COST231 [7], and Lee [8]. This exercise is important for Mauritius so as to obtain a realistic picture of the situation. Apart from some preliminary study done by the technicians of the local operators, no intensive measurements at a frequency of 2.1 GHz for mobile communication systems had been made previously. II. PROPAGATION MODELS Just like explained by Armoogum et al. for broadcast systems [5], in the design of 3G mobile networks, the basic task is to predict the coverage. There are many propagation models developed over the years to predict coverage such as Ibrahim and Parsons [13], Lee [8], Ikegami [14], WalfischBertoni [15], and recently Perez-Vega and Zamanillo [16]. Propagation models are required for predicting path loss. This path loss information may be used as a controlling factor for system performance or coverage so as to achieve perfect reception. The common approaches to propagation modelling include Physical models and Empirical models. In this study, we will consider only empirical models which use measurement data to

model a path loss equation. To conceive these models, a correlation was found between the received signal strength and other parameters such as antenna heights, terrain profiles, etc through the use of extensive measurement and statistical analysis [5]. Radio transmission in a communication system often takes place over irregular terrain. The terrain profile of a particular area needs to be taken into account for estimating the path loss. A number of propagation models are available to predict path loss over irregular terrain. While all these models aim to predict signal strength at a particular receiving point or in a specific local area, the methods vary widely in their approach, complexity and accuracy. Most commonly used models are described below. A. The Clutter Factor Model Measurements taken in urban and suburban areas usually find a path loss exponent close to 4, same as in the plane earth loss but with a greater absolute loss value. This led to some models being proposed which consist of the plane earth loss plus an extra loss component called the clutter factor. The various models differ basically in the values, which they assign to k and n for different frequencies and environments. An example of clutter factor model is the method due to Egli, which is based upon a large number of measurements taken around American cities. The total loss defined by this model is shown in equation below.
L = 40logR + 20logfc 20loghb + Lm where, Lm = 76.3 10loghm for hm <10 Lm = 76.3 20loghm for hm >10

F = 46.3 + 33.9 log fc 13.82 loghb E is defined as before for medium to small cities G = 0 dB; for medium - sized cities and suburban areas G = 3 dB metropolitan areas D. The Lee Model This is a power law model, with parameters taken from measurements in a number of locations, together with a procedure for calculating an effective base station antenna height which takes account of the variations in terrain. It can be expressed in the simplified form: L = 10n logR -20 loghb(eff) Po 10 log hm + 29 where n and Po are given by measurements and hb(eff) is the effective base station antenna height. III. INFRASTRUCTURE SET FOR THIS RESEARCH The schematic diagram in Fig. 1 shows the architecture set up for the measuring campaign and consists of the: 1) Laptop - equipped with GENEX Probe drive test software which provides a test platform for the radio air interface and can connect UEs, scanners, and GPS terminals through a serial port, PCI slot, or USB port. 2) Mobile Phone - it simulates communications of terminal users so that the Probe can record test data. 3) Global Positioning System (GPS) terminal - it is used to record the position of test points during a test 4) Vehicle a car for moving around the BTS with the equipments.

B. The Okumura-Hata Model This is a fully empirical prediction method, based upon an extensive series of measurements made in and around Tokyo city between 200MHz and 3GHz [6]. The method involves dividing the prediction area into a series of clutter and terrain categories, namely open, suburban and urban. Okumuras predictions of median path loss are usually calculated using Hatas approximations as follows: Urban areas: L (dB) = A + B logR E Suburban areas: L (dB) = A + B logR C Open areas: L (dB) = A + B logR D where A = 69.55 + 26.16 logfc -13.82 loghb B = 44.9 6.55 loghb C = 2(log (fc / 28)) 2 + 5.4 D = 4.78(log fc) 2 + 18.33 logfc + 40.94 E = 3.2(log (11.75 hm)) 2 4.97 for large cities, fc 300MHz E = 8.29(log (1.54 hm)) 2 1.1 for large cities, fc < 300MHz E = (1.1logfc 0.7) hm (1.56 logfc 0.8) for medium to small cities C. The COST 231-Hata Model The Okumura-Hata model for medium to small cities has been extended to cover the band 1500 MHz < fc < 2000 and the loss is calculated according to equation given below. L (dB) = F + B logR E + G where Figure 1: Physical Architecture of the Probe IV EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS AND METHODOLOGY ADOPTED During this study, it is assumed that the drive test is performed in a single direction, with increasing distance from the BTS and that there is no additional loss incurred due to the mobile receiver being in the car and in motion. The GENEX Probe software captures the drive-test data at around every half of a second. The essential parameters that will be of our help are as shown in tables below. A. The GENEX Probe Drive Test Software Being an excellent tool for air interface tests in the WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUPA, GSM, EDGE and GPRS systems, the Probe is used to verify the results of radio network planning and optimization and to give guidance to troubleshooting, planning, and optimization.

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The Probe supports user equipment (UE), scanners, and global positioning system (GPS) terminals. It provides the following functions: 1) Supporting mobility test in 2G and 3G wireless networks 2) Collecting radio parameters at L1 3) Completely decoding the message of the air interface at the following layers: L2 and L3 in the GSM network L1, L2, and L3 in the GPRS, WCDMA, and HSDPA/HSUPA networks 4) Supporting the continuous wave (CW) test and performing geographic binning to the test results 5) Exporting the propagation model data as the input of network planning software 6) Supporting test of multi-RAB (Radio Access Bearer) services and setting test items 7) Storing, exporting, combining, and replaying test data 8) Providing original data for other post-processing and network planning tools 9) Allowing automatically judging key events 10) Supporting voice and graphical user interface (GUI) prompts B. Methodology used On the GENEX Probe software, the digitised map of Mauritius has been imported as well as the levels, landmarks and clutters, according to the geography of the island. The BTS locations for WCDMA have also been imported onto the map according their GPS locations (longitude and latitude), as shown in Fig. 2.

Figure 3: Drive Test Simulation using the Probe

V PATH LOSS CALCULATION FROM PRACTICAL MEASUREMENTS Based on the reception mode, the minimum equivalent field strength of a signal at a receiver can be calculated using the following formulas [1]:
P
s min

C N

+ P

1 . 64 2 Ae = G + 10 log 10 4

min = P s min A e ; for portable reception

E min = min + 120 + 10 log 10 (120 ) = min + 145 . 8

where: Psmin: Minimum receiver input power {dBW} Ae: Effective antenna aperture {dBm2} G: Antenna gain {dB} : Wavelength of the signal {m} min: Minimum power flux density at receiving place {dB(W/m2)} Emin: Equivalent minimum field strength at receiving place {dB(V/m)} Pn: Receiver noise input power {dBW} 120 : Characteristic Impedance in Ohms The electric field strength Emin (dBV/m) is obtained from the experimental results. Taking Psmin from the above equations to be equivalent to the received power PR (dB), the corresponding path loss can be obtained as follows:
P
L

( dB ) = P T ( dB ) P R ( dB )

P L ( dB ) = PT ( dB ) E min A e + 145 . 8

Figure 2: WCDMA BTS Locations- GENEX Probe

where transmit power, PT(dB) and the effective receiver antenna aperture, Ae are calculated using known values as follows: PT ( dB ) = 10 log PT ( Watts )
P T ( Watts ) = 20 P T ( dB ) = 13
A e = G + 10 log
10

A car was driven at the different BTS locations using the above equipments to capture the data (RSCP- Received Signal Code Power). The GENEX software simulates the drive test in real time, that is, it shows the path taken as well as the different Rx levels with different colour codes, as shown in Fig. 3. The green colour is the best case signal reception (-70~-10), red being the worst case (-120~-100), that is, almost no signal and intermediate colours (for example, orange) are regions of call drops or bad quality signal.
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1 . 64 2 4

Taking G 18 dB for WCDMA Antenna (directional),

A e = G 25 . 75 = 7 . 75 ( dBm )

The equation for path loss becomes: P L ( dB ) = 166 . 51 E min

Using the longitude and latitude coordinates from the GPS, the distance from the BTS is calculated. The Electric Field Strength (EFS) and Path Loss at different distances from the BTS are calculated and are as shown in Tables I, II and III.
TABLE I: CALCULATED PATH LOSS FOR PORT LOUIS (SAMPLE RESULTS) Distance From BTS (m) 56 56 56 56 62 62 62 .. 124 124 124 124 124 EFS {dB(V/m)} 54.21 49.86 56.48 52.17 56.56 52.18 58.17 .. 36.46 44 39.37 39.71 34.93 Path Loss (dB) 112.3 116.65 110.03 114.34 109.95 114.33 108.34 .. 130.05 122.51 127.14 126.8 131.58

VI. COMPARISON BETWEEN EXPERIMENTAL VALUES AND EMPIRICAL PATH LOSS MODELS, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The actual path loss measurements can be analysed relative to these models to see whether these propagation models are accurate to be used for path loss prediction for 3G-WCDMA in different regions of Mauritius. BTS Height: hb = 15 m (Port Louis-PL), 28m (Goodlands-GD), 22m (Chemin Grenier-CG) Mobile Station Height: hm = 1.5 m Frequency of operation fc = 2100 MHz The simplified equations for each empirical model are given as follows (where R is the distance from Base Station): (i) Clutter Factor Model
L = 40 log R + 20 log f c 20 log h b + L m
L PL = 115 . 7 + 40 log R

L GD = 110 . 3 + 40 log L CG = 112 . 4 + 40 log R

(ii) Cost-231-Hata Model

L ( dB ) = F + B log R E + G
L
PL

TABLE II: CALCULATED PATH LOSS FOR CHEMIN GRENIER (SAMPLE RESULTS) Distance From BTS (m) 1550 1550 1550 1544 1544 1544 1544 1536 1536 1536 1536 1529 EFS {dB(V/m)} 26.05 18.92 31.95 32.39 26.56 22.42 30.52 30.54 31.47 35.69 22.85 33.75 Path Loss (dB) 140.46 147.59 134.56 134.12 139.95 144.09 135.99 135.97 135.04 130.82 143.66 132.76

( dB ) = 145 . 7 + 37 . 2 log

L GD ( dB ) = 138 . 8 + 35 . 4 log R
L CG ( dB ) = 140 . 3 + 36 . 1 log R

(iii) Okumura-Hata Model Urban areas: L (dB) = A + B logR E Suburban areas: L (dB) = A + B logR C L PL ( dB ) = 140 . 2 + 37 . 2 log R L GD ( dB ) = 136 . 4 + 35 . 4 log R
L CG ( dB ) = 137 . 9 + 36 . 1 log R

(iv) Lee Model

L = 10 n log R 20 log h b ( eff
)

P0 10 log h m + 29

Taking n = 3.84 and P0 = -61.7,

L
L
PL
GD

( dB ) = 38 . 4 log R + 65 . 4
( dB ) = 38 . 4 log R + 60

L
TABLE III: CALCULATED PATH LOSS FOR GOODLANDS (SAMPLE RESULTS) Distance From BTS (m) 472 472 472 472 472 .. 502 502 502 502 502 502 EFS {dB(V/m)} 43.27 42.09 41.75 41.04 41.39 .. 40.33 40.2 39.31 37.94 38.74 36.95 Path Loss (dB) 123.24 124.42 124.76 125.47 125.12 .. 126.18 126.31 127.2 128.57 127.77 129.56

CG

( dB ) = 38 . 4 log

R + 62

The above propagation models are plotted together with experimental results to see which one estimates the path loss more accurately. Figs. 4-5 below show the path loss at a constant distance of 3 km from the BTS for Port Louis, Chemin Grenier and Goodlands. From Fig. 4, the following observations are made for equal distance from the BTS: 1. The Lee Model highly underestimates the path loss. This can be attributed to the fact that this model takes into consideration the effective base station antenna height which depends on the exact topology of the terrain. 2. The Clutter factor model underestimates the losses most probably because it is designed basically for medium city or sub-urban areas. 3. The Okumura-Hata or the COST231-Hata can be used as an estimate for Path loss for the Port Louis urban region.

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4.

The deviations can be considered as negligible. The Okumura-Hata model is independent of receiver antenna height hence the path loss for the particular terrain in experiment is also independent of the antenna heights. The variation in the experimental values (non-straight line graph) can be attributed to the Port Louis environment having many obstructions in the path, like many high buildings in close proximity.
Comparison between Empirical and Experimental Path Loss Models for Port Louis (Urban)
170 160 150 140 Path Loss (dB) 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Location ID (3 km from BTS) Clutter Factor Okumura-Hata Cost231-Hata Lee Experimental Value

From the graphs (Fig. 6-8) of Path Loss versus Distance, it can be observed that: 1. At certain places, the path loss is not as expected (variations). The reason can be the varying antenna gain and varied received power. The antenna gain G depends upon the effective aperture Ae. The effective aperture at the receiver, Ae is related to the power density S (watt per meter square) and the input impedance Pr , at the receiver antenna. Power density at a receiver at radius r cannot be constant due to vastly different environmental clutter at each location. The power density may also be affected by moving objects in the vicinity (e.g., cars). 2. As distance increases, path loss also increases. In free space, loss is proportional to the T-R separation to the power of 2. This should produce a constant value of loss at each distance. But the varying nature of loss in practice can be attributed to various other parameters it is dependent on. Path loss is inversely related to the field strength because the strength of the propagating wave diminishes due to outward spreading and multipath. Since path loss is dependent on the field strength, any discrepancies would result in unexpected values of path loss. 3. For Port Louis (urban) region, the Okumura-Hata model is a good estimate for the path loss as shown in figure 15. 4. For rural areas like GD and CG, the clutter factor model or the Okumura Hata model can be a quite good estimate.
Path Loss v/s Distance (PL)
160 150 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40

Figure 4: Path Loss Comparison for Port Louis at a constant distance from BTS

From the graphs for Goodlands and Chemin Grenier in Fig. 5, the following can be noted: 1. The Clutter Factor model somewhat underestimates the path loss while the Okumura-Hata slightly overestimates the path loss. 2. The sudden peak at location ID 6 for GD can be attributed to a sharp turn around a building at that particular location. Moreover, the other deviations (ups and downs) are normally the cause of shadowing, reflection, diffraction or scattering, most probably due to the presence of trees. 3. For Chemin Grenier (CG), the presence of hills and crests is the main reason for the variations in the path loss.
Comparison between Empirical and Experimental Path Loss Models for GD and CG
160 155 150 Path Loss (dB) 145 140 135 130 125 120 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Location ID (3 km from BTS) Clutter Factor Cost231-Hata Experimental Value (CG) Okumura-Hata Experimental Value (GD)

P ath Loss (dB )

Experimental

Figure 5: Path Loss Comparison for CG and GD- equal distance from BTS

This study aims to calculate the path loss for urban and rural areas of Mauritius and to compare with different empirical models. The practical measurements that are collected over different distances from the base stations are used to estimate the path loss. Though propagation models are available to predict the losses, they are not very accurate in determining the coverage area of a system. This is due to the fact that these models have been designed based on measurements elsewhere. Therefore, in-field measurements must support the path loss prediction models for better and accurate results. Firstly, the effects of different parameters, such as distance from base stations have been studied and it is observed that path loss increases with distance due to a corresponding decrease in field

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30 0 40 0 50 0 60 0 70 0 80 0 90 0 10 00 11 00 12 00 13 00 14 00 15 00 16 00 17 00 18 00
Distance (m) Clutter Factor Okumura-Hata Cost231-Hata Lee

Figure 6: Path Loss v/s Distance Port Louis

VII. CONCLUSIONS

strength. Secondly we find that the Okumura-Hata model for urban region is the closest of all the outdoor propagation models considered to classify the environment into consideration. For the rural or sub-urban regions, the Okumura-Hata model or Clutter model can be used as they give better agreement and closest to the measured path loss.
Path Loss v/s Distance (CG)
180 160 140 Path Loss (dB) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

[11]

[12]

[13]
0 0 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 50 80 00 00 00 25 30 20 10 15 18 12
Distance (m)

[14]
Lee Experimental

Clutter Factor

Okumura-Hata

Cost231-Hata

Figure 7: Path Loss v/s Distance- Chemin Grenier

[15] [16]

Path Loss v/s Distance (GD)

180 160 140 Path Loss (dB) 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

International Telecommunication Union, ITU-R recommendation P.5292, Prediction methods for the terrestrial land mobile service in VHF and UHF bands, 1997. M. Hata, Empirical formula for propagation loss in land mobile radio services, IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., Vol. 29, pp. 317325, 1980. COST 231 Final Report, Digital Mobile Radio: COST 231 View on the Evolution Towards 3rd Generation Systems, Commisiion of the European Communities and COST Telecommunications, Brussels, 1999. W.C.Y Lee, Estimation of local average power of a mobile radio signal, IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., Vol. 34(1), pp. 2227, 1985. M.V.S.N Prasad and A. Iqbal, Comparison of some path loss prediction methods with VHF&UHF measurements, IEEE Transactions On Broadcasting, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 459-486, 1997. T. Rama Rao, S. Vijaya Bhaskara Rao, M.V.S.N. Prasad, Mangal Sain, A. Iqbal, and D. R. Lakshmi, Mobile Radio Propagation Path Loss Studies at VHF/UHF Bands in Southern India, IEEE Transactions On Broadcasting, Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 158-164, 2000. A. Arrinda, M. Ma Velez, P. Angueira, D. de la Vega, and J. L. Ordiales, Digital Terrestrial Television (COFDM 8k System) Field Trials And Coverage Measurements In Spain, IEEE Transactions On Broadcasting, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 171-176, 1999. A. Arrinda, M. Ma Velez, P. Angueira, D. de la Vega, and J. L. Ordiales, Local-Area Field Strength Variation Measurements Of The Digital Terrestrial Television Signal (COFDM 8k) In Suburban Environments, IEEE Transactions On Broadcasting, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 386-391, (1999). J.D. Parsons and M.F. Ibrahim, Signal strength prediction in built-up areasPart 2: Siganl variability, IEE Proc., vol. 130, no. 5, 1983, pp. 385391. F. Ikegami, S. Yoshida, T. Takeuchi, and M. Umehira, Propagation factors controlling mean field strength on urban streets, IEEE Trans. Ant. Prop., vol. 32 (no issue number), 1984, pp. 822829. J. Walfisch and H. L. Bertoni, A Theoretical Model of UHF Propagation in Urban Environments, IEEE Transactions On Antennas And Propagation, Vol. 36, No. 12, pp. 1788-1796, 1988. C. Perez-Vega and J.M. Zamanillo, Path Loss Model for Broadcasting Applications and Outdoor Communication Systems in the VHF and UHF Bands, IEEE Transactions On Broadcasting, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 91-96, 2002.

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Figure 8: Path Loss v/s Distance - Goodlands REFERENCES [1] V. Armoogum, K.M.S. Soyjaudah, N. Mohamudally, and T. Fogarty Path Loss Analysis between the north and the south of Mauritius with some Existing Models for Digital Television Broadcasting for Summer Season at UHF Bands, Proceedings of the 8th IEEE AFRICON 2007 ISBN 0-7803-8606-X.X. Mauritius History [Online] 2002. Available at http://mauritius.voyaz.com/ [Accessed on May 2010]. Metz H. C., [Online] 1994. Ed. Mauritius: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1994. Available at http://countrystudies.us/mauritius/7.htm [Accessed on May 2010]. V. Armoogum, K.M.S. Soyjaudah, N. Mohamudally, and T. Fogarty Comparative Study of Path Loss with some Existing Models for Digital Television Broadcasting for Summer Season in the North of Mauritius at UHF Band, IEEE The Third Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications (AICT-07), ISBN 0-7695-2443-0.

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