28 GHz Foliage Propagation Channel Measurements

Abstract

This paper presents results from channel sounding campaigns that investigate the impact of foliage blockage on the wireless propagation channel characteristics at 28 GHz. The measurements are performed with a real-time channel sounder equipped with phased array antennas that allow beamforming and electronic beam steering for directionally resolved measurements. Thanks to the short measurement time and the excellent phase stability of the system, we obtain both directional and omnidirectional channel power delay profiles without any delay uncertainty. We derive models for the distance-dependent foliage attenuation for different receiver heights. Additionally, we compare the angular spread and delay spread for links with and without foliage blockage to understand the effects of foliage on all channel characteristics.