A study of the effects of propagation and antenna variations on handoff errors in cellular systems

This study attempts to evaluate the number of errors in site assignments that may occur during the process of handoff that is the process following the determination by the serving site that a marginal condition exists. Variations due to propagation and antenna´s are introduced in a simulation by adding log-normal variables to the appropriate expected mean received carrier power from each site. Handoff threshold and handoff barrier values are shown to have a minor role. The major contributor is the log-normal standard deviation. Sites using omni receive antenna´s are more prone to handoff errors than those using directive antenna´s.