EFFECT OF VARYING BASE TRANSCEIVER STATION PARAMETERS ON THE POWER DENSITY DISTRIBUTION USING COST-231 HATA MODEL AND ACTUAL FIELD MEASUREMENT IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63747/jeis.v1i1.12Keywords:
Base transceiver station, Electromagnetic field, Radiofrequency exposure, Power density, Radiation pattern, Urban propagation, Wireless NetworksAbstract
The rapid expansion of cellular communication infrastructure in urban environments has necessitated the deployment of numerous Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) to meet the increasing demand for data and voice traffic. However, BTS siting decisions often prioritize coverage and capacity over the potential public health implications of radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. This study presents a comparative analysis of the effect of varying some of the BTS parameters on the power density distribution using the COST-231 HATA propagation model and actual field measurements in three southwestern Nigerian cities, Akure, Ado-Ekiti, and Osogbo. Real-time field measurements of network key attributes collected at the BTS site are technologies (2G–5G), transmission frequencies, antenna configurations, transmitter power levels, and BTS densities. The COST 231 HATA propagation model, implemented in MATLAB and Python, was used to simulate RF exposure under realistic urban deployment conditions. The simulation results obtained reveal simulated power density values across all sites ranged from 0.021 W/m² to 0.375 W/m², while measured PD levels varied from 0.018 W/m² to 0.398 W/m², depending on proximity to antenna main lobes and terrain influences. Ado-Ekiti, characterized by its rugged topography, exhibited the highest mean deviation between predicted and measured values (Δ = 0.044 W/m²), compared to Akure (Δ = 0.031 W/m²) and Osogbo (Δ = 0.029 W/m²). Model validation using statistical metrics produced a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.0419 W/m², a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.0531 W/m², and a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.1510, indicating moderate accuracy with low linear correlation, primarily due to antenna variability and terrain effects.
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