Multicarrier CDMA techniques for future wideband wireless networks

In this paper, multicarrier techniques are considered in the context of the future wideband wireless networks. An overview of the different access schemes based on a combination of code division and multicarrier techniques, such as Multi-Carrier Code Division Multiple Access (MC-CDMA), Multi-Carrier Direct Sequence CDMA (MC-DS-CDMA) and Multi-Tone CDMA (MT-CDMA) is presented first. Afterwards, MC-CDMA systems are considered for the downlink of high rate cellular networks. The performance of different mono-user detection techniques are first analytically estimated and then compared with the help of Monte Carlo simulations for a Rayleigh channel. Simulation results on the performance of mono-user and multi-user detection techniques are also provided for Bad Urban (BU) Hilly Terrain (HT) and Vehicular UMTS channels. With regard to the channel coding, convolutional codes and turbo-codes are considered. Among others, a new linear detection technique named Global Minimum Mean Square Error Algorithm (GMMSE) is compared to multi-user Parallel Interference Cancellation detection technique. It is shown that GMMSE offers good performance especially for non-full load systems. Thus, the efficiency of MC-CDMA as a very promising multiple access and robust modulation scheme is successfully demonstrated for the downlink of the future wideband mobile networks. © 2001, Springer-Verlag.