Instantaneous GSM Signal Strength Variation with Weather and Environmental Factors

Abstract

Spatial and temporal changes that transmitted radio signals may go through are attributed to variations in the atmospheric conditions as well as other environmental factors. This work evaluates and establishes some atmospheric and environmental variables that have a dominating impact on temporal signal strength fluctuations that are experienced even on a fixed location. The average refractivity gradient dN/dh computed from hourly measurement taken at a fixed location for seven days was -61.3 N/km and so the average propagation conditions correspond to the normal mode, although super refraction was to be expected at about 10 am and 8 pm. On the overall, the variation in dN/dh does not actually explain the temporal variations in the received signal Pr, since the correlation between the variables is as low as 0.091. Among the environmental factors investigated for their effect on signal strength fluctuations, receiver location has a dominating impact.