Radio wave propagation: A comparison between 900 and 1800 MHz

Extensive measurements of radio wave propagation in macro cells were performed. Two transmitters, generating 900 and 1800 MHz, respectively, were situated together. The measurements were performed for six separate transmitter locations in different terrain types. The average value of the signal strength was calculated and stored every 13.3 m over a total distance of 550 km. The difference in path loss between the two frequencies was analyzed separately for five defined area types (urban, suburban, forest land, semi-open and flat open areas). The results show that the difference varies between 5.7 and 10.0 dB. The difference for urban areas was 6.9 dB, which is significantly lower than for suburban areas, where the difference between path loss at 1800 and 900 MHz was 9.3 dB, suggesting that the diffraction loss from vegetation is substantially higher for 1800 MHz than for 900 MHz.