Modeling of Effective Path-Length Based on Rain Cell Statistics for Total Attenuation Prediction in Satellite Link

ITU-R recommends a global rain-attenuation prediction model for satellite link, but it lacks a physical meaning because it is an empirical model and the effective path-length model is frequency dependent. In this letter, a global effective path-length model, which can be used for total attenuation prediction in a satellite link, is proposed. The proposed model is a physical model based on the rain-cell concept. The test for the proposed model was performed against the data in the ITU-R SG3 DB, using the procedures in the recommendation ITU-R P. 311 and the Fascicle. The test results show that the prediction error of the proposed model is less than the existing ITU-R model. In addition, the proposed model is a physical model and simple compared to the current ITU-R model.