Peer-to-Peer Urban Channel Characteristics for Two Public-Safety Frequency Bands

We report on peer-to-peer (ground-based) wireless channel characteristics for an urban environment in two public-safety bands. Results were based upon measurements taken in Denver in June 2009. The public-safety bands we investigated were the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands, both planned for public-safety and “emergency-responder” applications. Heretofore, characterization of an urban environment in these bands has not been done. Specifically, an estimation of the distributions of both the number of multipath components and their delays has not been made for these bands, this environment, and our low antenna heights. Our measurements employed a vector network analyzer, from which both path loss and delay dispersion characteristics were obtained for link distances up to approximately 100 m. Log-distance models for path loss are presented, and dispersive channel models are also described. Our dispersive channel models employed a statistical algorithm for the number of multipath components, previously used only in indoor settings. By employing a transmitter-antenna positioner, we introduced spatial diversity into the measurement system, which enabled analysis of the dispersion characteristics of the angle of departure, also new for this ground-ground channel. The channel models should be useful for public-safety communication system designers.