Propagation model for small urban macro cells

Abstract

This paper presents the MOPEM1 propagation model for dense urban areas in the frequency band from 850 to 900 MHz. This work is based on the COST 231-WI model, but the hypothesis of infinite screen blocks is replaced by finite screens, taking into account the street crossings, predicting the signal attenuation along the block. The dependence of the propagation loss with the terrain height is reviewed and optimized by considering an absolute reference, whereas the dependence on the angle between the street and the wave propagation is modified to obtain a continuously differentiable loss function. The standard deviation obtained with this model is 5.1 dB, and the mean error is 0 dB versus 6.6 and 6.2 dB, respectively, for the COST 231-WI model, with validation measurements from two areas in Montevideo, Uruguay.