The characterisation of space weather effects on cellular and microwave telecommunication

Abstract

To the knowledge of the authors, studies making use of cellular network counters to analyse the impact of solar originated radio waves on cellular telecommunication systems are a relatively unexplored area. This dissertation examines interference of solar originated radio waves with the radio aspect of terrestrial cellular telecommunications systems. A theoretical analysis was performed and real world data were also obtained from a cellular network. Solar parameters that have a potential relationship to noise generated on the cellular network were analysed, making use of the position of the sun relative to the radiation patterns of antennas of cellular network equipment. The most sensitive cellular networks are those based on the long-term evolution (LTE) standard; radio bursts of as little as 10 solar flux units (SFU), though beyond the range of the equipment, are theoretically detectable by it and bursts of 100 000 SFU have been shown to be capable of producing noise levels of -88 dBm, 13 dBm above the thermal noise level at 300 K. A comparison between sun incident hours and others, when the sun is not in direct line of sight of cellular basestation antennas, reveals increased interference, though the cellular network data do not correlate well with solar radio burst and X-ray flares, owing to lack of sample diversity and low granularity of telecommunications data and lack of extreme solar events during the period. However, potential susceptibly to solar radio interference exists, especially in the case of lower frequencies (900 MHz) in telecommunication bands (900 2100 MHz) with high bandwidth (20 MHz) applications.

Na die wete van die skrywer is studies wat van sellulêrenetwerktellers gebruik maak om die impak van radiogolwe van sonoorsprong op telekommunikasiestelsels te analiseer n relatief swak bestudeerde veld. Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek die steurings wat radiogolwe van son-oorsprong het op die radio-aspek van aard-sellulêre telekommunikasiestelsels. n Teoretiese analise is uitgevoer en gemete is verkry van n sellul êre netwerk. Sonparameters wat potensieel n verband het met ruis op die sellulêre netwerk opgewek is, is geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van die posisie van die son relatief tot die stralingspatrone van antennas van sellulêrenetwerktoerusting. Die sensitiefste sellulêre netwerke is gebaseer op die langtermynevolusiestandaard (LTE); radiouitbarstings van so min as 10 sonvloedeenhede (SFE) is waarneembaar met LTE en daar is bewys dat uitbarstings van 100 000 SFE in staat is om ruisvlakke van -88 dBm te veroorsaak, 13 dBm bo die termiese ruisvlak by 300 K. n Vergelyking tussen son-insidensie-ure en ander, wanneer die son nie in direkte siglyn is nie, toon verhoogde inmenging, alhoewel die sellulêrenetwerkdata nie goed met sonradio-uitbarstings en X-straal fakkels korreleer nie, te danke aan die lae granulariteit van telekommunikasiedata en die afwesigheid van uiterste son-insidente gedurende die tydperk. Daar is nietemin potensieel vatbaarheid vir son-radio-steurings, veral in die geval van laer frekwensies (900 MHz) in telekommunikasiebande (900 2100 MHz) met hoë bandwydtetoepassing (20 MHz).