Performance investigation of earth-to-satellite microwave link due to rain fade in Bangladesh

Abstract

The fast growth in communication systems has resulted congestion in lower frequency bands and system designers are forced to explore higher and higher frequencies. Rain is a dominant source of attenuation at higher frequencies and consequently degrades the system performance in tropical and subtropical regions. The knowledge of rain fade and its performance is essential in order to optimize system capacity and meet quality and reliability. This paper has investigated performance of earth-to-satellite link due to rain fades operating in a subtropical country Bangladesh. The rain intensity data are derived from forty years measured annual rainfall data. The converted rain intensity data is used to estimate rain fades at C, Ku and Ka-bands. The rain fade is also estimated using ITU-R recommended rain intensity. Noise generated during rains is predicted for all three bands and carrier-to-noise ratios are estimated to compare the performances of earth-to-satellite link at different frequency bands in a subtropical region.