Introduction

The Propagation Committee of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society has recently been reactivated with a mandate to help promote more effective exchange of information concerning propagation measurement and modeling for wireless communications system design. To this end, the committee has established both an Internet mailing list <propagation-list@gweep.bc.ca> and the beginnings of a web site/portal devoted to propagation issues, http://members.home.net/propagation/. Eventually, the committee hopes to set up a CVS (concurrent versions system) server to promote Open Source development of propagation models and software tools. Participation in the mailing list, development of the web site/portal, and the Open Source development process is open to all interested members of the propagation community.

Background and Motivation

The propagation environment places fundamental constraints on the performance of wireless communications systems. As wireless systems become more complex, move to higher frequencies, and are deployed in more challenging situations, new propagation models which accurately describe the new environments must be developed and made available to developers and designers. However, many in the community have expressed concern that the flow of information concerning propagation modeling could be substantially improved. Propagation researchers are often dismayed to find wireless system designers using outdated and obsolete models. Wireless system designers often complain that information concerning propagation modeling is difficult to locate because it is scattered amongst a variety of journals, conference proceedings, standards documents, and government publications.

In the past, the IEEE VT-S Propagation Committee has played an active role in disseminating information concerning propagation modeling for wireless communication system design. For example, the committee has contributed to the IEEE Selected Reprint Volume on Land Mobile Communications Engineering [1], a special issue of IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology concerning Coverage Prediction for Mobile Radio Systems [2], and, most recently, the Telecommunications Industries Association (TIA) report on Recommended Methods for Technology-Independent Modeling, Simulation, and Verification of Wireless Communications Systems [3]. While such efforts have provided a valuable service to the community, a mechanism for allowing casual participation by interested individuals was missing. At VTC (Spring) 1999 in Houston, TX, the IEEE VT-S Board of Governors reactivated the Propagation Committee with a mandate to help disseminate information and promote discussion concerning propagation modeling using a new approach which allows IEEE members and others to more easily participate.

The IEEE VT-S Propagation Committee

The IEEE VT-S Propagation Committee seeks to promote collaboration between propagation researchers, software developers, and wireless system designers by establishing and maintaining both an Internet mailing list devoted to propagation issues and a propagation web site/portal with both original content and links to other Internet resources. The committee is comprised of interested individuals who have volunteered to steer and promote these initiatives by participating in the mailing list, soliciting or contributing content for the web site/portal, and providing suggestions and feedback for improving both. If you would like to join the committee, please contact Dave Michelson <dmichelson@ieee.org>.

The IEEE VT-S Propagation Mailing List

Since February 1999, over 200 propagation researchers, software developers, and wireless system designers from around the world have joined Propagation-List, an IEEE VT-S sponsored Internet mailing list which is devoted to propagation measurement and modeling for wireless communications system design. Propagation-List is a place to ask questions, provide answers, and, through informal discussion, get a sense of the future direction of propagation measurement and modeling. NEC-LIST is a related list which is devoted to computational electromagnetics and antenna design. See http://emlib.jpl.nasa.gov/EMLIB/nec.htmlfor details.

To subscribe to the Propagation-List mailing list, please send a plain-text message to <majordomo@gweep.bc.ca> with the words

subscribe propagation-list

The IEEE VT-S Propagation Web Site/Portal

The IEEE VT-S Propagation Web Site/Portal at http://members.home.net/propagation/is intended to be a useful working resource for people involved in propagation-related activities including research, software development, and wireless systems design. It is currently divided into the following sections:
 

1. On-Line Tutorials and Review Articles

both original content and links to tutorials and review articles concerning wireless communications or propagation measurement and modeling which are available on-line in either HTML or PDF format

2. Professional, Industry, and Government Research Organizations

links to professional, industry, and government research organizations with an interest in propagation measurement and modeling

3. Standards Organizations

links to standards organizations with an interest in propagation measurement and modeling

4. Research Journals

links to descriptions, contact information, and information for authors for research journals which publish work concerning propagation measurement and modeling

5. Books, Reports, and Other Publications

descriptions and links to books, reports, and other publications which have been recommended by Propagation-List subscribers

6. Propagation Modeling Codes

both original content and links to on-line sources for both VHF/UHF and HF propagation modeling codes such as Longley-Rice, IONCAP, TIREM, and others

7. Sources of Terrain and other Geographic Data

both original content and links to information concerning both free and commercial sources of terrain and other geographic data (digital elevation, land use/land cover, and census data) which are used by wireless planning tools

8. Wireless Planning Tools

both original content and links to companies and organizations which supply either free or commercial wireless planning tools

9. Propagation Measurement Tools

both original content and links to companies and organizations which supply propagation measurement tools

At present, some sections are more complete than others. All would benefit from either links or original content provided by members of the propagation community. If you would like to contribute, please contact Dave Michelson <dmichelson@ieee.org>.

Concluding Remarks

The success of the propagation mailing list, the propagation web site/portal, and proposed initiatives such as Open Source development of propagation models and software tools, depends on the interest and contributions of individuals. The IEEE VT-S Propagation Committee invites all interested members of the wireless community to consider becoming involved. Please note that participation in these activities is open to all, including those who have not yet joined IEEE or VT-S.

References:

[1] D. Bodson, G.F. McClure, and S.R. McConoughey, Eds., Land Mobile Communications Engineering. New York: IEEE Press, Selected Reprint Series, 1984.

[2] H. Bertoni, Ed., "Special Issue on Coverage Prediction for Mobile Radio Systems Operating in the 800/900 MHz Frequency Range," IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 37, no. 1, Feb. 1988.

[3] TIA TR8 Working Group 8.8, "Wireless Communications Systems - Performance in Noise and Interference-Limited Situations - Recommended Methods for Technology-Independent Modeling, Simulation, and Verification," TIA/EIA TSB 88, Telecommunications Industry Assoc., Arlington, VA, January 1998.

About the Author

David G. Michelson received the B.A.Sc., M.A.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees, all in Electrical Engineering, from the University of British Columbia. His principal research interest is applied electromagnetics with applications to wireless communications and remote sensing. In 1994-96, he was a staff member in the MacDonald Dettwiler/NSERC Radar Remote Sensing Group at UBC where, with support from the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (Ottawa, ON) and the Imaging Radar group at NASA/JPL (Pasadena, CA), he studied electromagnetic scattering from terrain and ground cover, methods for classifying and interpreting polarimetric SAR imagery, and RF coverage prediction at VHF/UHF wavelengths. Since September 1996, he has been a consulting research scientist in antennas and propagation to AT&T and has worked with teams from AT&T Wireless Services (Redmond, WA) and AT&T Labs-Research (Red Bank, NJ) to develop both analytical and measurement-based mathematical models of narrowband and wideband radiowave propagation in the fixed wireless environment. He also recently served as a consultant to Industry Canada, Spectrum Engineering Branch (Ottawa, ON) concerning propagation modeling for emerging multipoint communications services including MDS, MMDS, and LMCS/LMDS.

Dr. Michelson is a senior member of the IEEE and a member of the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society. He chairs both the Propagation Committee of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society and the Vancouver Chapter of the IEEE Communications Society. He has moderated NEC-LIST, an Internet mailing list devoted to computational electromagnetics and antenna design, since its inception in 1993. He received a Young Scientist Award from the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) in 1987 and an Outstanding Service Award from the Vancouver Section of the IEEE in 1992.