Modelling and predicting the fading performance of fixed radio links through vegetation

Increasingly, vegetation effects are being identified as the cause of fading phenomena in fixed wireless access links. In high winds, these fades can be fast and deep enough to significantly interfere with communication. This paper describes a method of predicting the existence of these wind-fades by measurements taken during installation in calm weather. The theory presented can also be developed to predict the effects of fading due to vegetation growth. Results are presented showing the agreement of the theory with published measurement data.