Radio propagation and planning at 28 GHz for local multipoint distribution service (LMDS)

The rapid growth of the Internet has increased the demand for broadband services, and LMDS offers a wireless method of access to broadband interactive services. A point-to multi-point system architecture and cellular arrangement of multiple hubs provide coverage over wide areas. Rainfall and blockage by foliage or buildings between the hub and subscriber antennas lead to small cells with a radius on the order of a few kilometers. Propagation measurements have been conducted in multiple areas to quantify a wide range of characteristics that affect the performance of terrestrial LMDS systems. Propagation models that utilise the GIS information such as terrain, tree, and building heights in an area have been incorporated into an LMDS radio planning tool. The planning tool accurately models the interaction between the radio propagation environment and the LMDS system components such as antenna patterns and link budget to evaluate the coverage and interference in LMDS deployments. The tool can be used to efficiently deploy LMDS system infrastructure.