On the Methodology for Calculating SFN Gain in Digital Broadcast Systems

For broadcast networks, the Single-Frequency Network (SFN) mode is an alternative to the well-known Multi-Frequency Network (MFN) mode, where instead of transmitters operating at different frequencies, all base stations use the same frequency. Besides the optimal frequency reuse, it is usually expected that the more homogeneous distribution of received signal strength reception in an SFN will improve the quality of service. Nevertheless, it should be noted that not all the locations within the service area will benefit from the SFN configuration. Some areas will show a degraded quality caused by the SFN echoes. In this paper, the SFN gain is defined as a parameter describing potential gain or interference. An unambiguous methodology to obtain the actual SFN gain is presented and the variation of the gain is investigated for a DVB-H network as a function of the signal strength difference received from different transmitters. This SFN gain can be used for coverage planning of future broadcast networks.