A Hybrid Propagation Coverage Prediction Model for Rural Areas

The accuracy of the propagation model is very crucial factor for successful wireless network design and optimization. The current existing models' accuracy depends on the environment on which the network is being operated, thus the accuracy of the model deviate from one environment to another. The amount of deviation depends on the similarity between the environments at which the model was developed and the environments at which the model is being applied. This paper introduces a simple hybrid coverage prediction model for rural areas using hybrid of two models. The proposed model is based on layering mechanism similar to GIS topographic layers to reduce the computation overhead and time by processing each layer alone. The proposed model will be validated by comparing the results with field measurements. Also, a case study for coverage optimization using the proposed model will be done.