Signal statistics from a LMSS propagation experiment in Europe

A land mobile satellite system (LMSS) experiment was performed within the framework of ESA´s PROSAT phase II program in order to analyze the dominant propagation factors in Europe. The measurements were made using a van as the mobile platform and the MARECS satellite as the 1.5-GHz signal source. Various environments in Spain, France, and Sweden were selected. Similar tests took place along the Spanish Railways after mounting the equipment in a locomotive. It is shown that, although shadowing is the main signal impairment to be considered, it does not prevent communication in most cases. The satellite signal can be received in relatively good conditions with a rather high probability in almost any environment in the selected areas of Europe. Even in the worst cases (Stockholm, dense forest), it is possible to find stretches of road where the signal level is high