Rain Height and Satellite Interference over Malaysia from 1992 to 2022

The impact of climate change on rainfall patterns poses significant challenges to satellite communication infrastructure. This study explores the dynamic relationship between changing climate conditions and their effects on the reliability and efficiency of satellite communication systems. Utilizing an extensive dataset comprising satellite imagery and meteorological records, this study focuses on discerning the evolving rain height patterns in Malaysia. Rain height is one of the crucial parameters used to determine rain fade on satellite communications. The study employs a statistical methodology including predictive modeling using the regression method, to assess the correlation between climate change-induced alterations in rainfall and the resultant impact on rain height. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between climate change which is typically associated with the increase of global temperature (~ 0.5 °C - 1.5 °C) and rain height (~ 4 m increase per year) in Malaysia. Rain attenuation increases by approximately 0.03 dB per year with the increase of rain height and temperature. The research contributes by revising studies on climate change's effect on rain height with 30 years’ worth of meteorological data collected from NOAA. In 2024, the rain height in Malaysia is predicted to be more than 5.4 km. Studies like this one contribute to the effective planning and deployment of satellite communication systems, especially at high-frequency ranges such as Ka and Ku bands, ensuring high-quality and stable communication systems while minimizing loss.