Experimental results from the UK test-bed on the DCS1800 radio channel

A collaborative LINK research project has been in progress since early 1990 to develop the DCS1800 test bed and use this equipment to investigate the radio path performance of a GSM-type TDMA system at 1.8 GHz. Prior to this programme, Orbitel possessed a 900 MHz digital cellular radio test-bed to verify the operation of the GSM system to be implemented throughout Europe. This test-bed was upgraded to operate in the 1.8 GHz band by the use of two low noise up/down converter units designed and built at Bradford University to Orbitel´s specification. The authors detail results from initial field trials carried out in areas around Basingstoke and Bradford and compare them to measured results using a fading simulator with the GSM path profiles defined by ETSI