Measurement-based estimates of bit-error-rate performance in urban LOS microcells at 900 MHz

The authors present cumulative distribution estimates for the one-second-averaged bit-error-rate that would be experienced on UHF links in a microcellular environment. Mobile and stationary users (subscribers) are assumed to move at speeds ranging from quasi-stationary (e.g., pedestrians) to 96 km/h (vehicles). Emphasis is placed on lineal (as opposed to area) microcells. These are defined as cells in which there is always a line-of-sight (LOS) ray path between the microcell site (or microsite) antenna and the subscriber antenna, in addition to road- and/or building-reflected rays. Using extensive UHF data collected in New York City, results are presented for both uplink (subscriber-to-microsite) and downlink (microsite-to-subscriber) transmission, for both nondiversity and selection diversity receivers. It is found that, for moving subscribers, simple diversity reception can give dramatic benefits in grade of service. For stationary subscribers, nondiversity operation provides an excellent grade of service