Signal fading in land-mobile satellite communication systems: statistical characteristics of data measured in Japan using ETS-VI

The space-Earth links in land-mobile satellite communications are frequently cut off as a result of the shadowing and blockage, due to roadside trees, buildings, utility poles, and other artificial obstacles. Knowledge about the fade statistics is therefore important in designing cost-effective land-mobile satellite communication systems. Using a 15.5 dBi-gain satellite-tracking antenna, an S-band (2.1 GHz) unmodulated continuous-wave signal transmitted from the elliptically orbiting ETS-VI satellite was measured, while the vehicle the antenna was mounted on was driven around a city in Okinawa. The investigation reports on fade statistics and fade and nonfade-duration (interfade-duration) statistics for elevation angles ranging from 57.9° to 66.5° and for several thresholds of fade state (fade margins from 3 to 15 dB)