Multienvironment radio predictions involving an in-building WLAN network and outdoor UMTS base stations

Siradel takes part in a French research project (RNRT) named Rhodes that has been initialised in 2003 to experiment a joint deployment of a UMTS/TDD and WLAN network. Siradel coordinates the workpackage dealing with the multisystem (WLAN, UMTS) radio planning. Thus radio propagation prediction tools have been designed in the frame of that project to deal with complex multienvironments (indoor, outdoor, mountainous). The presented propagation modelling is used to simulate the coverage of the hybrid network and determine the cell boundaries. The paper presents the distinct solutions to predict the propagation either from outdoor UMTS base stations or from in-building WLAN transmitters. The focus is set on the terrain representation of both environments. The outdoor map data and the 3D building model have to be perfectly adjusted in a common coordinate system. This is indeed a key feature to achieve a full analysis of the hybrid network. A measurement campaign has been realised to calibrate and validate the propagation prediction tools. The synthesised results are presented here.