73 GHz Wideband Millimeter-Wave Foliage and Ground Reflection Measurements and Models

TL;DR

This study provides detailed 73 GHz outdoor foliage and ground reflection measurements, offering valuable data for designing millimeter-wave wireless systems with adaptive antennas and accurate propagation modeling.

Contribution

First comprehensive 73 GHz foliage and ground reflection measurements with detailed models for outdoor millimeter-wave propagation.

Findings

Foliage causes 0.4 dB/m signal attenuation.

Ground reflection coefficients range from 0.02 to 0.34.

Measured data support link budget and ray-tracing models.

Abstract

This paper presents 73 GHz wideband outdoor foliage and ground reflection measurements. Propagation measurements were made with a 400 Megachip-per-second sliding correlator channel sounder, with rotatable 27 dBi (7 degrees half- power beamwidth) horn antennas at both the transmitter and receiver, to study foliage-induced scattering and de-polarization effects, to assist in developing future wireless systems that will use adaptive array antennas. Signal attenuation through foliage was measured to be 0.4 dB/m for both co- and cross-polarized antenna configurations. Measured ground reflection coefficients for dirt and gravel ranged from 0.02 to 0.34, for incident angles ranging from 60 degrees to 81 degrees (with respect to the normal incidence of the surface). These data are useful for link budget design and site-specific (ray-tracing) models for future millimeter-wave communication systems.