Channel Measurement and Modeling for Path Loss Prediction in Vegetated Environment for IEEE 802.11ah Network

The new standard IEEE 802.11ah is ideal targeting large-scale and dense deployments of IoT and M2M solutions due to three specific characteristics: the low operating frequency allowing coverage up to 1km, the ability to simultaneously connect a large number of devices per access point, and low power consumption. Several studies on the characteristics of radio propagation in the bands used by the IEEE standard are being carried out worldwide. In this paper, we evaluate two urban path loss models and four specific path loss models for vegetated environments, based on a measurement campaign performed in an urban environment with a strong presence of vegetation, typical of living areas, squares and urban parks where IoT technologies should be commonly implemented in the coming years. The models proposed by TGah were also evaluated. Based on empirical data, the most accurate models are determined. The characterization of large-scale fading and small-scale fading are presented.