Foliage loss measurements of tropical trees at 35 GHz

The presence of foliage in the propagation channel can lead to severe signal attenuation, and thus the effects of vegetation in the propagation environment need to be considered in any prediction model. In the present work, a measurement study is undertaken to quantify the attenuation caused due to tree canopies, at 35 GHz. The trees prevailing in typical Indian deserts, having variation in the leaf size and leaf density along the tree canopy are included in the study and in each case, attenuation characteristics are reported. The results presented in the paper may be of vital importance for radio cell planning operating at millimeter wave frequency.