A comparison of slant path attenuation models applied to the selection of satellite beacon receiver sites

Frequencies in the 10 GHz to 30 GHz band are of increasing importance in satellite communication applications in the European region. The ability to predict slant path rain induced attenuation at these frequencies is therefore an essential tool for system design. The paper considers the selection criteria for beacon receiver sites. An investigation is described in which attenuation predictions have been calculated using a number of models at each of 1700 points in Europe. From these computations, contour maps have been prepared indicating, for different frequencies and polarisations, the extent to which site-related parameters cause disagreement between the various attenuation prediction methods at locations throughout Europe