ECSE Departmental Research Seminars

Speaker: Michael Feramez

E&CSE, Monash University & La Trobe University

Abstract:

Delivering information and communication technology (ICT) services to communities in rural and remote areas differs dramatically from that of the urban environment. Many economical and technical issues regarding installation, operation and maintenance are involved. The planning and design philosophy must take into account a number of key characteristics, which include vast areas to be covered by the network, low density dispersed user populations, and sporadic low teletraffic volumes. Underpinning such philosophy is a long-distance wireless subscriber line. An increase in length of the subscriber line leads to a decrease in the number of the required switching nodes for covering the service area. The maximum possible length of a subscriber line is dictated by its technology, signalling rate, information bandwidth, and above all, the ability to predict its transmission performance with an acceptable level of accuracy.

The motivation behind the research into the wideband very high frequency (VHF 30-300 MHz) radio channels stems from the need for an economical and cost-effective long-distance wireless subscriber line. This presents two tightly related key research questions, the first being “how wide is the wideband” and the second “how long is the distance over which that wideband can be achieved?”

It is well known in literature and radio amateurs circles that VHF radiowaves travel very long distances up to a few thousand kilometres. The signals in question are narrowband, 4k Hz single side band (SSB) and, more importantly, radio link performance cannot be predicted with any reasonable degree of accuracy. The VHF band caters for many communication services including fixed links and land mobile radio, sound and television broadcast, radiolocation, astronomy, aeronautical, navigation, meteorological, space research, amateur radio and satellite, and maritime mobile services. In the lower end of the VHF radio band (30-100 MHz) a number of propagation mechanisms and anomalies come into play, including tropospheric scatter, meteorscatter, sporadic reflections from the F and E ionospheric layers, and tropospheric ducting.

About the speaker:

Michael Feramez received the Bachelor of Engineer Degree in Communication Engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1985 and the Master of Engineering Science Degree in Telecommunication Engineering from Monash University in 1997, Melbourne Australia. Michael is a Chartered Professional Engineer, Member of the Institution of Engineers, Australia. With over thirty two years experience in the Australian telecommunication industry, Michael has held a number of technical, professional engineering and managerial positions working for national and multinational organizations including Philips-TMC, Telecom Australia (Telstra), NEC Australia, and Transfield Defence Systems. As an independent consultant for a period of twelve years, Michael provided professional services to a host of clients, both in Australia and overseas, on microwave and professional mobile radio communication systems. Michael is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electronic Engineering at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.