Analysis of Rain Fade for Satellite Networks Using Multi Precipitation Estimate in Malaysia

Abstract

Satellite networks operating above 20 GHz (Ka and Ku band) usually suffer radio signal absorption and scattering losses, mostly due to hydrometeor events such as rain. This phenomenon is called rain fade. The fading due to rain can disrupt major wireless backhaul communication and may lead to signal outages, a complete loss of signal. High frequency radio signals suffer a lot more in tropical regions such as Malaysia where more and heavier rain events are expected. In this paper, the existing meteorological data called Multi Precipitation Estimate, operated by EUMETSAT is used as a source for meteorological input to simulate rain fade effects on satellite networks in East and West of Malaysia. This paper is an extension from a previous paper, published in IEEE xplore titled “Preliminary study of EUMETSAT’s Multi-Sensor Precipitation Estimate product for microwave links in Malaysia