Method for the prediction of coverage areas of a cellular network

A system for predicting coverage area of a radiocommunications network including a plurality of network cells distributed over a geographic area, the system comprising means configured for:

• calculating by simulation an irradiated electromagnetic field irradiated by a radio base station of the network in a plurality of measure locations within the geographic area corresponding to respective expected positions of a user terminal,
• wherein said means are also configured for:
• calculating, for each of said measure locations, a basic transmission curve indicative of a basic attenuation of a radioelectric signal strength in the measure location,
• associating, for each of said measure locations, at least one correction factor to the basic transmission curve for refining the radioelectric signal strength basic attenuation by taking account of shielding effects on the radioelectric signal strength due to obstacles to the propagation of the radioelectric signal,
• wherein means are further configured for:
• calculating for the measure location at least one equivalent volume parameter indicative of an equivalent volume of said obstacles taking into account a plurality of neighbor measure elementary areas in a prescribed neighborhood relationship to a measure elementary area to which the measure location is associated, and
• calculating an equivalent volume correction factor by associating each one of the at least one equivalent volume parameter to a corresponding parametric curve expressing the signal attenuation as a function of the respective at least one equivalent volume parameter.