fading
Quick Summary
In telecommunications, "fading" refers to significant variations in the received signal's amplitude and phase over time or space. This can occur when radio waves travel along multiple reflected paths to the receiver, a phenomenon known as multipath interference. Each path delivers a signal with a slightly different time delay, creating "ghosts" of the original transmission.1
Fading can be frequency-selective, meaning different frequency components of a signal experience different levels of fading. A severe form, "deep fade," happens when these delayed signals have equal amplitudes but opposite phases, canceling each other out. "Fast fading" occurs with rapid changes in reflected paths, common in urban environments with many reflective surfaces. This is particularly problematic at frequencies above one gigahertz.1
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