Radio propagation measurements and modeling for standardization of the site general path loss model in international telecommunications union recommendations for 5G wireless networks

The International Telecommunications Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Study Group 3 identified the need for a number of radio channel models in anticipation of the World Radiocommunications Conference in 2019 when the frequency allocation for 5G will be discussed. In response to the call for propagation path loss models, members of the study group carried out measurements in the frequency bands between 0.8 GHz up to 73 GHz in urban low-rise and urban high-rise as well as suburban environments. The data were subsequently merged to generate site general path loss models. The paper presents an overview of the radio channel measurements, the measured environments, the data analysis, and the approach for the derivation of the path loss model adopted in Recommendation ITU-R P.1411-10 (2019–08).