Statistical modelling of small-scale fading effects for high-altitude platform propagation channels

Abstract

Wireless communications is among the fastest growing areas in electrical engineering. In recent years, increased attention has been directed toward the employment of high altitude platforms (HAPs), which are low-cost stratospheric vehicles carrying telecommunication payloads in order to provide a variety of wireless narrowband and broadband services. This paper deals with the statistical derivation of a channel model for the communication link between such stratospheric platforms and terrestrial mobile users in a HAP-based system. In particular, we address the problem of modelling small-scale fading effects which is considered as an important topic in wireless communications.

Keywords:

• High-altitude platforms
• mobile
• fading channel
• outage