Fading Issues In Wireless Communication Systems: A Case Study Of Airtel Tanzania Limited

ABSTRACT

This dissertation intends to present various fading problems affecting particularly wireless signal transmission over water and over thick forest and analyze its underlying principles in communication network. The dissertation also investigates various techniques used in practice to mitigate effects of fading over the said terrains.

The dissertation is motivated by the fact that mobile companies, Airtel Network in particular, still suffer from fading in their transmission networks despite the fact that various techniques are used to combat/mitigate such effects. It intensively reviews the techniques mostly used by Airtel Tanzania Ltd. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate and propose new solutions.

The existing Path Loss Radio Links Planning Tool software is used to investigate the changing terrain behaviors of different transmission terrains including over water and over dark foliage. This is done by simulating different terrains and transmitted signal to get received signal level. It also determines how much the fading margin can sustain such given conditions in practical perspective in wireless communication system.

It is therefore evident that under such scenarios unpredicted water wave, windy and foliage conditions affect and impact much the performance and the quality of received signal.