WATER VAPOUR PROPAGATION IMPAIRMENT EFFECTS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

The research studies the water vapor propagation impairment effects on the wireless communication system in Akure from 2010 to 2011 and Lagos between 2007 and 2008 using the K-band frequency. The season to season attenuation due to the water vapor during the wet and dry seasons is analyzed with an ARMA model. The data collected from the meteorological sources, such as temperature, humidity, and pressure, are processed in evaluating the atmospheric conditions that cause the signal degradation. From the results obtained, it can be observed that the attenuation by water vapor is much higher during the wet season, considering the fact that the atmospheric moisture is increased due to higher signal degradation, particularly in high-frequency bands. The ARMA model performance is very good for strong autoregressive attenuation, which will enable the prediction of future conditions based on past data. When this curve is compared to the wet season, the following similarities or trends are noticed: the attenuation patterns for the dry season are more stable and predictable; hence, the quality of the signal was much better and there were fewer disruptions. These results essentially bring to the fore the necessity for wireless communication systems that consider seasonal changes of atmospheric conditions in areas with relatively high humidity. In conclusion, predictive models for management should be used in signal attenuation and adaptive techniques of transmission to reduce negative atmospheric effects.