Characterization of fading on fixed wireless channels between 200 MHz and 2 GHz in suburban macrocell environments

Growing use of point-to-multipoint fixed wireless networks to support network access and SCADA applications in suburban macrocell environments has prompted regulators to re-allocate various bands between 200 MHz and 2 GHz to such applications. Links in such networks are usually obstructed by buildings and foliage and are classified as non-line-of-sight. Although it is well-known that such links are susceptible to fading caused by windblown trees and foliage, most past efforts to characterize fading on such links have focused on frequency bands at 1.9 GHz and above. Here, we show how signal fading in the 220, 850 and 1900 MHz bands vary with both distance and time-averaged wind speed in a representative macrocell environment. Based upon time-series of received signal strength collected in a typical macrocell environment with moderate foliage at locations between 1 and 4 km from a transmitting site located 80 m above ground level, we show that fading on such links is relatively severe at 1.9 GHz but decreases rapidly as the carrier frequency decreases. We have expressed our results in the form of a first-order simulation model. Additional data will be required to estimate standardized model parameters that can be applied to a broad range of environments.