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BBC R&D White Paper WHP047

The Digiplan Project:
Coverage prediction for digital broadcast services
M.B.R. Lee (BBC Research & Development, UK)
S.R. Saunders, C. Tzaras and E. Montiel (University of Surrey, UK)
J. Scrivens (Cellular Design Services Ltd., UK)

Keywords
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Abstract
Transmitter network design for digital broadcast services must balance the conflicting requirements of providing high-quality service to the users and maintaining good spectral efficiency, whilst minimising the costs for realising the network and achieving a rapid roll-out towards the required coverage. This places far greater requirements on the accuracy of coverage prediction tools than previously.

The main aim of the DigiPlan project was to develop new path loss prediction algorithms that can be used to plan and maintain digital broadcast networks with an accuracy commensurate with the requirements of these new services.

This paper outlines the context for the DigiPlan project and then describes the key aims and objectives. A new approach has been developed, based on diffraction methods, that yields higher accuracy for a given computation time than previous rigorous theoretical methods. The paper outlines the development and implementation of the new method. Measurement campaigns were conducted to collect additional measurements for validation of the model. Comparisons of the measured and predicted path losses are presented.

This document was originally published in the Conference Publication of the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC 2002) Amsterdam, 12-17 September 2002.