OFDM-based schemes for next generation wireless systems

The purpose of this study is to investigate two candidate waveforms for next generation wireless systems, filtered Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (f-OFDM) and Unified Filtered Multi-Carrier (UFMC). The evaluation is done based on the power spectral density analysis of the signal and performance measurements in synchronous and asynchronous transmission. In f-OFDM we implement a soft truncated filter with length 1/3 of OFDM symbol. In UFMC we use the Dolph-Chebyshev filter, limited to the length of zero padding (ZP). The simulation results demonstrates that both waveforms have a better spectral behaviour compared with conventional OFDM. However, the induced inter-symbol interference (ISI) caused by the filter in f-OFDM, and the inter-carrier interference (ICI) induced in UFMC due to cyclic prefix (CP) reduction , should be kept under control. In addition, in a synchronous transmission case with ideal parameters, f-OFDM and UFMC appear to have similar performance with OFDM. When carrier frequency offset (CFO) is imposed in the transmission, UFMC outperforms OFDM and f-OFDM

Integration of Satellites in 5G through LEO Constellations

The standardization of 5G systems is entering in its critical phase, with 3GPP that will publish the PHY standard by June 2017. In order to meet the demanding 5G requirements both in terms of large throughput and global connectivity, Satellite Communications provide a valuable resource to extend and complement terrestrial networks. In this context, we consider a heterogeneous architecture in which a LEO mega-constellation satellite system provides backhaul connectivity to terrestrial 5G Relay Nodes, which create an on-ground 5G network. Since large delays and Doppler shifts related to satellite channels pose severe challenges to terrestrial-based systems, in this paper we assess their impact on the future 5G PHY and MAC layer procedures. In addition, solutions are proposed for Random Access, waveform numerology, and HARQ procedures.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM) 201

Resource Allocation Approach for Differential Doppler Reduction in NB-IoT over LEO Satellite

Internet of things (IoT) over satellite is an attractive system architecture which has been proposed as a key-enabling technology, to extend the coverage in remote areas (e.g. desert, ocean, forest, etc), particularly where a terrestrial network is impossible or impractical to reach. One of the most promising technologies that fit the IoT vision of low-power, wide area networks (LPWAN) is the narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). While low earth orbit (LEO) satellites are favourable because of their lower round trip time (RTT) and lower propagation loss in the communication link, they come up with a significantly increased Doppler shift. In our NB-IoT over LEO satellite architecture, we identify the problem of high differential Doppler among channels of different users on Earth, which leads to the performance degradation of our system. In this paper, we propose a resource allocation approach in order to reduce the high values of differential Doppler under the maximum value supported by the standard itself

An Uplink UE Group-Based Scheduling Technique for 5G mMTC Systems Over LEO Satellite

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is one of the most promising IoT technology to support the massive machine-type communication (mMTC) scenarios of the fifth generation mobile communication (5G). While the aim of this technology is to provide global coverage to the low-cost IoT devices distributed all over the globe, the vital role of satellites to complement and extend the terrestrial IoT network in remote or under-served areas has been recognized. In the context of having the global IoT networks, low earth (LEO) orbits would be beneficial due to their smaller propagation signal loss, which for the low complexity, low power, and cheap IoT devices is of utmost importance to close the link-budget. However, while this would lessen the problem of large delay and signal loss in the geostationary (GEO) orbit, it would come up with increased Doppler effects. In this paper, we propose an uplink scheduling technique for a LEO satellite-based mMTC NB-IoT system, able to mitigate the level of the differential Doppler down to a value tolerable by the IoT devices. The performance of the proposed strategy is validated through numerical simulations and the achievable data rates of the considered scenario are shown, in order to emphasize the limitations of such systems coming from the presence of a satellite channel

On the Random Access Procedure of NB-IoT Non-Terrestrial Networks

The standardization of the 5G systems has recently entered in an advanced phase, where non-terrestrial networks will be a new key feature in the upcoming releases. Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is one of the technologies that will address the massive machine type communication (mMTC) traf- fic of the 5G. To meet the demanding need for global connectivity, satellite communications can provide an essential support to complement and extend the NB-IoT terrestrial infrastructure. However, the presence of the satellite channel comes up with new demands for the NB-IoT procedures. In this paper, we investigate the main challenges introduced by the satellite channel in the NB-IoT random access procedure, while pointing out valuable solutions and research directions to overcome those challenges

Random access procedure over non-terrestrial networks: From theory to practice

Non-terrestrial Networks (NTNs) have become an appealing concept over the last few years and they are foreseen as a cornerstone for the next generations of mobile communication systems. Despite opening up new market opportunities and use cases for the future, the novel impairments caused by the signal propagation over the NTN channel, compromises several procedures of the current cellular standards. One of the first and most important procedures impacted is the random access (RA) procedure, which is mainly utilized for achieving uplink synchronization among users in several standards, such as the fourth and fifth generation of mobile communication (4 & 5G) and narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT). In this work, we analyse the challenges imposed by the considerably increased delay in the communication link on the RA procedure and propose new solutions to overcome those challenges. A trade-off analysis of various solutions is provided taking into account also the already existing ones in the literature. In order to broaden the scope of applicability, we keep the analysis general targeting 4G, 5G and NB-IoT systems since the RA procedure is quasi-identical among these technologies. Last but not least, we go one step further and validate our techniques in an experimental setup, consisting of a user and a base station implemented in open air interface (OAI), and an NTN channel implemented in hardware that emulates the signal propagation delay. The laboratory test-bed built in this work, not only enables us to validate various solutions, but also plays a crucial role in identifying novel challenges not previously treated in the literature. Finally, an important key performance indicator (KPI) of the RA procedure over NTN is shown, which is the time that a single user requires to establish a connection with the base station