Modified Spatial Channel Model for MIMO Wireless Systems

The third generation partnership Project’s (3GPP) spatial channel model (SCM) is a stochastic channel model for MIMO systems. Due to fixed subpath power levels and angular directions, the SCM model does not show the degree of variation which is encountered in real channels. In this paper, we propose a modified SCM model which has random subpath powers and directions and still produces Laplace shape angular power spectrum. Simulation results on outage MIMO capacity with basic and modified SCM models show that the modified SCM model gives constantly smaller capacity values. Accordingly, it seems that the basic SCM gives too small correlation between MIMO antennas. Moreover, the variance in capacity values is larger using the proposed SCM model. Simulation results were supported by the outage capacity results from a measurement campaign conducted in the city centre of Oulu, Finland.