Radiowave Propagation in Urban Environments with Application to Public-Safety Communications

Published

August 4, 2014

Author(s)

William F. Young, Catherine A. Remley, Christopher L. Holloway, Galen H. Koepke, Dennis G. Camell, John M. Ladbury, Colton R. Dunlap

Abstract

We characterize key elements that pose challenges to public-safety radio communications into and out of large buildings, including the strong attenuation of radio signals caused by losses and scattering in the building materials and structure, and the large signal variability that occurs throughout these large structures. We analyze measurements of continuous wave radio signals, and provide the parameters for representative log-normal distributions for six frequency bands ranging from 430 MHz to 4.9 GHz. The data were collected in experiments in which radio-frequency transmitters were carried throughout large urban structures and receiving systems placed outside the structures. In other experiments, the radio-transmitters were carried through urban streets with receivers at locations on the streets within the same urban environment. The transmitters were tuned to frequencies near public-safety and cell-phone bands, as well as unlicensed bands.

Citation

IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine

Volume

56

Issue

4

Pub Type

Others

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DOI Link

Keywords

public-safety communications, large building RF propagation, RF propagation measurements, urban RF propagation, RF building penetration, wireless systems, wireless communications

Citation

Young, W. , Remley, C. , Holloway, C. , Koepke, G. , Camell, D. , Ladbury, J. and Dunlap, C. (2014), Radiowave Propagation in Urban Environments with Application to Public-Safety Communications, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, [online], https://doi.org/10.1109/MAP.2014.6931660 (Accessed October 7, 2025)