Downlink OFDM techniques in 3rd generation TDMA based mobile systems

The FRAMES multiple access (FMA) in order to meet the UMTS requirements and thereby also the IMT2000, has proposed a harmonized platform based in two access techniques, i.e. time division multiple access (TDMA) and code division multiple access (CDMA). Thus, the MA concept has two modes: FMA1, wideband TDMA with and without spreading, and FMA2, wideband CDMA. The FMA1 included several options such as spreading (CDMA features) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. This paper presents the performance of this latter option in order to outline the flexibility of the FMA1 and the advantages of the OFDM modulation when used instead of the single carrier setting following the classical TDMA approach. Link level results illustrate that the E_h/N₀, values are comparable or even better than the ones obtained following traditional modulation techniques