Surface feature data for propagation modelling

An important prerequisite for effective radio propagation prediction remains accurate terrain data. The past few years has therefore seen the development and commercial marketing of a 50 m resolution terrain database by the UK Ordnance Survey. The application of this new high resolution terrain data to radio propagation modelling has been explored by many organisations, and it is now generally accepted that it´s 50 m resolution meets both current and likely future needs for radio propagation analysis. There is no point in considering higher resolution terrain data until a now more significant problem in propagation modelling has been solved; that of the capture, characterisation and application of surface feature information, often referred to as `clutter´ data. The author explores what is now needed by way of clutter data in order to move UHF and microwave propagation modelling forward