Hata and CCIR Formulas1

Following extensive measurements of urban and suburban radio propagation losses,

Okumura et al. published many empirical curves useful for cellular systems planning.

These empirical curves were subsequently reduced to a convenient set of

formulas known as the Hata model that are widely used in the industry.

The basic formula for the median propagation loss given by Hata is
L (dB) '*&& #'"' log"! 0MHz "$)# log"! 2" a(2# )
(%%* '&& log"! 2" ) log"! .km O
where 2" ($!-#!!) and 2# ("-"!) are base station and mobile antenna heights in meters,
respectively, .km ("-#!) is the link distance in kilometers, and 0MHz ("&!-"&!!) is the
center frequency in megahertz.

The term a(2# ) is an antenna height-gain correction factor that depends upon the
environment. It equals zero for 2# !.

The factor O is used to correct the small city formula for suburban and open
areas.

From J. S. Lee and L. E. Miller, CDMA Systems Engineering Handbook. Boston: Artech House, 1998; and NTIA's LMS calculator help file.
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Hata Model Parameters

Type of area
open
suburban
medium-small city
large city (0Q LD $!!
large city (0Q LD $!!)

a(2# )
("" log"! 0Q LD !()2#
("&' log"! 0Q LD !))
$#(log"! ""(&2# )# %*(
)#*(log"! "&%2# )# ""!

O
%()alog"! 0Q LD b# ")$$ log"! 0Q LD %!*%
#clog"! a0Q LD #)bd# &%
!
!
!

The category of large city used by Hata implies building heights greater than "& m.

At the cellular frequency of )&! MHz, the Hata model becomes

LL+>+ "%'") %%* '&& log"! 2" log"! .57 a(2# ) "$)# log"! 2" O
where
Type of area
open
suburban
medium-small city
large city

a(2# )
#&# 2# $((
$#(log"! ""(&2# )# %*(

O
#)#'
*(*
!
!

Extension of Hata Model to Longer Distances

An empirical formula for extending the Hata Model to distances #!-"!! km was
developed by ITU-R and is given by
LMX Y (dB) '*&& #'"' log"! 0MHz "$)# log"! 2" a(2# )
(%%* '&& log"! 2" )( log"! .km ), O
where

and

,
2"w

"
" !"% !!!!")(0Q LD !!!"!(2"w log"! a.km #!b!)

.km #!
.km #!

2"
"("!' 2"#

CCIR Model

An empirical formula for the combined effects of free-space path loss and terraininduced path loss was published by the CCIR (Comit Consultatif International des
Radio-Communication, now ITU-R) and is given by
LGGMV (dB) '*&& #'"' log"! 0MHz "$)# log"! 2" a(2# )
(%%* '&& log"! 2" ) log"! .km B
where 2" and 2# are base station and mobile antenna heights in meters, respectively,
.km is the link distance in kilometers, 0MHz is the center frequency in megahertz, and
a(2# ) ("" log"! 0MHz !()2# ("&' log"! 0MHz !))
B $! #& log"! (% of area covered by buildings)

This formula is the Hata model for mediumsmall city propagation conditions,
supplemented with a correction factor, B.

The term B is such that the correction B 0 is applied for an urban area, one
that is about "&% covered by buildings; for example, if #!% of the area is covered by
buildings, then B $! #& log"! #! #& dB.

The Extended Hata Model

For urban PCS applications at "&# GHz, it was found by a European study
committee (COST 231) that the Hata model consistently underestimates path loss,
and an extended Hata model was developed to correct the situation.

The basic formula for the median propagation loss in dB given by the extended Hata
propagation loss model is
L\L+>+ %'$$ %%* '&& log"! 2" log"! .57 $$* log"! 0Q LD
where

a(2# ) "$)# log"! 2" G ,

G

!
$,

medium city and suburban areas

.
metropolitan (urban) centers

The ranges of parameters for which this model is considered valid are the following:
"&!! 0Q LD #!!!
" .km "!

$! 2" #!!
" 2# "!.

The Hata-Davidson Model

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) recommends in their publication

TSB-88A the following modification to the Hata model to cover a broader range of
input parameters.

The modification consists of the addition of correction terms to the Hata model:
LLH LL+>+ E2" .km ) W" (.km ) W# (2" .km ) W$ (0Q LD ) W% (0Q LD .km )
in which E and W" are distance correction factors extending the range to $!! km, W# is
a base station antenna height correction factor extending the range of 2" values to
#&!!, and W$ and W% are frequency correction factors extending frequency to "&!!
MHz:
distance
.km #!
#! .km '%$)
'%$) .km $!!

E2" .km )
!
!'#"$(a.km #!bc!& !"& log"! a2" "#"*#bd
!'#"$(a.km #!bc!& !"& log"! a2" "#"*#bd

W# (2" .km ) !!!()%klog"! a**).km bka2" $!!b for 2" $!!

W" (.km )
!
!
!"(%a.km '%$)b

W$ (0Q LD ) 0Q LD #&! log"! a"&!!0Q LD b

W% (0Q LD .km ) c!""# log"! a"&!!0Q LD bda.km '%$)b for .km '%$)
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Walfisch-Ikegami Model

In Europe, research under the Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical
Research (COST) program has developed improved empirical and semideterministic
models for mobile radio propagation.

In particular, Project 231 (COST 231), entitled Evolution of Land Mobile Radio
Communications, resulted in the adoption of propagation modeling recommendations
for cellular and PCS applications by the International Telecommunications Union
(ITU), including a semideterministic model for medium-to-large cells in built-up areas
that is called the Walfisch-Ikegami model.

The Walfisch-Ikegami model (WIM) has been shown to be a good fit to measured
propagation data for frequencies in the range of )!! to #,!!! MHz and path distances
in the range of !!# to & km.

Walfisch-Ikegami model (continued)

The WIM distinguishes between LOS and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation

situations.

In a LOS situation, there is no obstruction in the direct path between the transmitter
and the receiver, and the WIM models the propagation loss in dB by the equation
LPSW %#'% #' log"! .57 #! log"! 0Q LD , .57 !!#

Note that the propagation law (power of distance) for the LOS situation is
modeled as being #'"! #', so that LPSW . #' .

This model assumes that the base station antenna height ( $!m) ensures that
the path has a high degree of Fresnel zone clearance. Recall that the propagation
loss in free space is given by
L0 = $#%& #! log"! .57 #! log"! 0Q LD

The LOS propagation loss can be written as

LPSW L0 = "!"* ' log"! .57 L0 = ' log"! a&! .57 b L0 = ' log"! a.7 #!b

For NLOS path situations, the WIM gives the path loss using the following parameters:
2, Base antenna height over street level, in meters (% to &!m)
27 Mobile station antenna height in meters (" to $m)
2F Nominal height of building roofs in meters
?2, 2, 2F Height of base antenna above rooftops in meters
?27 2F 27 Height of mobile antenna below rooftops in meters
, Building separation in meters (#! to &!m recommended if no data)
A Width of street (,# recommended if no data)
9 Angle of incident wave with respect to street (use *! if no data)
Base antenna

d
Buildings

hb

hB

hm

b
Street level
h

Mobile
antenna

Walfisch-Ikegami model (continued)

In the absence of data, building height in meters may be estimated by three times the
number of floors, plus $ m if the roof is pitched instead of flat. The model works best
for base antennas well above the roof height.

Using the parameters listed above, for NLOS propagation paths the WIM gives the
following expression for the path loss in dB:

where

L L<>= L7.= , L<>= L7.= !

LR PSW 0 =
L0 = ,
L<>= L7.= !
L0 = Free-space loss $#%& #! log"! .57 #! log"! 0Q LD
L<>= Roof-to-street diffraction and scatter loss, and
L7=. Multiscreen diffraction loss

The loss terms L<>= and L7=. are functions of the NLOS parameters shown previously.

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The formula given for L<>= involves an orientation loss, L9<3 :

where

L<>= "'* "! log"! A "! log"! 0Q LD #! log"! ?27 L9<3

"! !$&% 9
! 9 $&
L9<3 #& !!(&9 $&
%! !""%9 &&

$& 9 &&
&& 9 *!

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The formula given for the multiscreen diffraction loss term L7=. is
L7=. L,=2 5+ 5. log"! .57 50 log"! 0Q LD * log"! ,

In this expression, L,=2 is shadowing gain (negative loss) that occurs when the base
station antenna is higher than the rooftops:
L,=2

") log"! " ?2,

!

?2, !
?2, !

L7=. decreases for wider building separation (,). The quantities 5+ , 5. , and 50 determine the dependence of the loss on the distance (.57 ) and the frequency (0Q LD ).

The term 5+ in the formula for the multiscreen diffraction loss is given by
&%

5+ &% !) k?2, k
&% !) k?2, k.57 !&

?2, !
?2, ! and .57 !&
?2, ! and .57 !&

This relation results in a &%-dB loss term if the base station antenna is above the
rooftops ?2, !), but more than &% dB if it is below the rooftops. The increase from
&% dB is less if the link distance is rather small (less than &!!m).

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The distance factor 5. in the formula for L7=. is given by

")
5.
") "& k?2, k2F

?2, !
?2, !

L7=. increases with distance at ") dB/decade if the base antenna is above the
rooftops (?2, !). But if the antenna is below the rooftops, the increase is higher
(/1, $! dB per decade when it is only #!% as high as the buildings (?2, 2F !)).

The frequency factor 50 in the formula for the multiscreen diffraction loss is given by

Q LD
!( 0*#&
"

50 %
0Q LD
"& *#& ",

medium city and suburban

metropolitan area

L0 = and L<>= together give an increase of $! dB per decade of frequency. The

expression for 50 indicates that this should be adjusted downward for 0 '#" GHz for
medium city and suburban environments or 0 ##* GHz for a metropolitan area.

For a typical cellular frequency of )&! MHz, the value of 50 is about % dB for either
situation, so the total dependence on frequency for the )!!-MHz cellular band is about
#' dB per decade.

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