Smartphone-Based Experimental Analysis of Rainfall Effects on LTE Signal Indicators

Abstract

This work investigates the impact of rainfall on cellular communication links, leveraging smartphone-collected measurements. While existing studies primarily focus on line-of-sight (LoS) microwave propagation environments, this work explores the impact of rainfall on typical signal metrics over cellular links when the LoS path is not guaranteed. We examine both small-scale and large-scale variations in signal measurements across dry and rainy days, considering diverse locations and time windows. Through statistical and spectral analysis of a large dataset, we uncover novel insights into how rainfall influences cellular communication links. Specifically, we observe a consistent daily fluctuation pattern in key cellular metrics, such as the reference signal received quality. Additionally, spectral features of key mobile metrics show noticeable changes during rainfall events. These findings, consistent across three distinct locations, highlight the significant impact of rainfall on everyday cellular links. They also suggest that the widely available by-product signals from mobile phones could be leveraged for innovative rainfall-sensing applications.