Scenario based comparison of cellular and ad-hoc tactical radio networks

Abstract

Two types of tactical radio networks are analyzed and compared. Firstly we consider a multi-hop ad-hoc network and secondly a WCDMA cellular network based on the new UMTS terrestrial radio access network called UTRAN. We are interested in how an ad-hoc network behaves and compares to a cellular network with a limited number of base stations, in a mobile scenario. For the assessment, two tactical scenarios involving a Swedish mechanized battalion are drawn up for armed combat on Swedish ground. They are characterized by different mobility, where in the first we have constant movements over a large area and in the second only a high speed movement within a limited area at the end of the scenario. We test a service mix consisting of situation awareness data, group calls and intranet connections. We use a digitized terrain database for propagation modeling in the 300 MHz and the 1.5 GHz frequency bands. As a scenario elapses, at each time instant, the probability that the network can provide a service for an arbitrarily chosen radio terminal is estimated. Based on these results we finally assess the different network solutions.