Mobile Coverage in Rural Sweden: Analysis of a Comparative Measurement Campaign

Abstract

Under the umbrella of 1G to 5G, different technologies have been used to provide mobile communication. Various technologies are being proposed to bring a person in remote area under coverage. However, a statistical analysis on what these users get from already existing technologies has not been carried out. We fill this gap by carrying out such a study using a measurement campaign, where we present a framework for analyzing mobile signal strength experienced at the user end. Measurements are taken throughout the Norrbotten county, the northernmost county in Sweden, using mobile phones recording various parameters at regular intervals. Based on measured signal strength, a coverage map has been made via inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation. Based on the coverage map, various analyses are carried out on signal strength over residential areas and roads of Norrbotten. Overall, we lay a framework to analyze and quantify the effect of signal strength on users.