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Implementation of Harry Wongs FCC 98

Point-to-point propagation model
in ICS Telecom software
The US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) recently published a point-topoint propagation model for broadcast planning. It is more particularly dedicated to
determine interference areas between FM services. Details about the relevance of this
model as well as the mathematical definition of the model are to be found at the
internet address http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Notices/1998/fcc98117.pdf ( Notice
of proposed rule making and order by FCC, June 11, 1998, MM-Docket No. 98-93,
FCC 98-117). This model is:
- geometrical (use of Fresnel ellipsoid) ;
- statistical w.r.t. the altitude profile (through the computation of a profile
roughness from the standard deviation of altitudes within 10 km of either side of
the primary obstacle;
- statistical w.r.t. measurements: a large number of measured data were used
to calibrate the model.

1 User level
This model is available as a dynamic library link (DLL file) in the folder ICS
with the name fcc98.dll. It can be selected in the menu Parameters/Propagation
model/model of ICS Telecom. It is directly ready to use (no external user parameter is
required). This model runs in last point mode, i.e. it can be used both on profiles and
coverages but also for computation of field-strength at isolated areas (more details on
fast and last point modes can be found in ICS Telecom user guide, at paragraph
dealing with model UIT-R P.370-7).

2 Practice level
Let us simply recall that the model computes a diffraction loss that is defined
as a balance between a knife edge loss and a smooth sphere loss (the latter yields a
larger attenuation). This balance is numerically parameterized through the standard
deviation h of the altitude profile around the straight-line least squares fit made to the
ground elevations within 10 km of the primary obstacle. From this standard deviation,
an equivalent roudness factor R is calculated according to R=75/(2.564*h +75). The
larger h (R close to 0), the closer the attenuation to knife edge loss. On the contrary,
the shorter h (R close to 1), the closer the attenuation to smooth sphere loss.
In addition to this, a ground occupancy attenuation term is added. This terms is
a function of the clearance ratio and also depends on 5 dB attenuation coefficient
(which is a median surburban coefficient over the US).
When the total length of the profile is below 20 km, or when the range [10;+10] km is not completely filled with elevation data (i.e. is closer from the
transmitter Tx or the receiver Rx than 10 km), the least square fit line is computed
from the whole set of data available in the range. Somehow, for very short distances
from the Tx, the value of the approximation of the standard deviation h might yield a

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small value because of there are much fewer points than in the range [-10;+10] km.
As a result, the corresponding value of R might be close to 1, which implies
excessively large diffraction attenuation. To avoid this drawback, if the distance from
Tx d is d0 = 5 km, diffraction attenuation PathLoss is replaced by:
PathLoss = (1.0-d/d0 )*KnifeEdgeLoss+(d/d0 )*PathLoss.
Thus, if d is close to 0, attenuation is close to knife edge loss, and becomes linearly
closer to PathLoss as far as d increases to d0 .

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