Network planning aspects of DS-CDMA with particular emphasis on soft handoff

A study into the application of soft handoff in wideband direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) communications systems is described. Soft handoff is explained in terms of macroscopic diversity, a form of diversity combining in which signals transmitted via independently fading paths can be combined in order to enhance the overall performance. Results from a series of outdoor propagation studies, specifically designed to investigate the propagation aspects of soft handoff, are presented, and the future work activities of the project are outlined.