METHOD FOR CALCULATING THE STRENGTH OF A MOBILE COMMUNICATION NETWORK FIELD

DOI: 10.31673/2412-4338.2025.048911

Abstract

Mobile communication and wireless access systems play an important role in modern society, and with the introduction of 5G networks, significant technological changes are expected. In the educational process, students must familiarize themselves with the principles of building such systems, including 5G networks. However, laboratory and practical classes on radio planning and testing of mobile systems are often complicated by the lack of access to professional tools from manufacturers, so students have to work with outdated or non-professional equipment, while specialized scientific and manufacturing companies use professional hardware and software developed in-house or manufactured by leading global companies.

Therefore, the article proposes a simplified method for analyzing mobile network coverage that does not depend on the operator, frequency band, or technology. The method is based on recording signal levels and GPS coordinates using a publicly available mobile application and subsequent data processing in MATLAB. An algorithm for linking field strength to coordinates on a spherical Earth model is presented, and the calculation of the distance traveled and the construction of the dependence of the received power on the path (drive-test simulation) are implemented. Sufficient measurement discreteness for educational purposes is demonstrated, and the advantages and limitations of the approach are identified. The possibility of extending the methodology to an SDR receiver with GPS for coverage mapping is outlined.

Keywords: mobile communications, geographic information systems, electromagnetic field intensity, radio monitoring, signal attenuation, MATLAB.