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Uplink interference in WiMAX

Posted by Farrukh Feroze Ali on September 27, 2009 at 1:52pm
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One of the prime concerns for WiMAX network designers is to eliminate the unwanted signals from
network. Unlike traditional Single carrier/TDMA based systems, WiMAX 16e requires greater
understanding of frequency allocations because of OFDMA based scheduling. Most licenses issued by the
regulators around the World do not allow leverage of planning with frequency re-use patterns of 3x3x3 and
designers have to persist with re-use patterns of 1x3x3.
One of the factors that influence the inter-cell interference averaging and amount of frequency diversity is
the Permutation scheme being used. PUSC (Partial Usage of sub-channels) the default permutation
scheme, provides some level of frequency diversity, since sub-channels consist of non-adjacent groups of
adjacent sub-carriers. FUSC (Full Usage of sub-carrier) provide maximum frequency diversity and is more
resilient to interference, since sub-channels consist of non-adjacent sub-carriers, but is only available in
DL. With re-use pattern 1x3x3 same frequency channel is re-used among Co-Channel sectors. CCI
(Co-Channel Interference) for DL transmission can be optimized, but it is difficult to optimize for the UL
transmission, hence there's a possibility that neighboring Co-Channel sectors UL signals will interfere with
each other.
In TDD systems complete channel (physical band) is occupied for UL transmission within dedicated
symbols based on TDD ratio. Within a standard 5ms frame (assuming TDD Ratio 31:15), excluding DL
sub-frame and TTG/RTG gaps UL transmission from all SS will last for about 1.5ms. During this time there

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Uplink interference in WiMAX - 4G360

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http://4g360.com/profiles/blogs/uplink-interference-in-wimax

is no DL (BS-CPE) transmission and all SS within one BS will occupy different slots in UL sub-frame.
Since slot is itself a two-dimensional figure, either Time (Symbol) OR Frequency (sub-channel)
differentiate same SBS (Serving BS) SS UL slots from interfering with each other.
Slot structure in UL sub-frame is such that its multiples expand in both (Time/Frequency) dimensions
forming a Data Region based on user QoS requirement within the frame. The expanding Data Region
consists of multiples of 48 sb-carrier sub-channels which are prearranged and communicated in the
UL-MAP (part of the DL sub-frame). The problematic part comes when two Co-Channel sectors assign
Data Regions that comprises of slots having common symbols/sub-channels. Since these Time overlapped
symbols are not Time synchronized, if the signal strength of respective SS reach out to each others SBS
(Serving BS), these upstream transmission interfere. The amount of UL interference is driven by the
overlapping of Data Regions of the two subscribers, worst case interference occur if exactly same slots are
assigned to SSs in Co-channel sectors.
The odds of interference lessens if system is on average having higher UL MCS (Modulation and Coding
Sequence), as less slots are occupied per subscriber to meet QoS requirement, but this raises the needs for
high UL CINR levels to meet MCS requirements. On the other hand, sacrificing higher MCS levels and
running a system with low MCS will allow SS to transmit less (Automatic UL Power Control), just to meet
sensitivity thresholds (Adaptive Modulation and Coding) and reduce the probability of over shoots.
Consequently its the traffic behavior in UL that determines this trade-off between UL interference and
UL capacity.
Its difficult to visualize how UL signals reach beyond serving BS. It requires precise data of clutter of the
terrain to determine how the radiation will be diffracted, reflected, absorbed and attenuated. High UL
TX-Power combined with gain and diversity results in signals that reach beyond serving sectors. One
viable solution is to use low gain antennas and allow attenuation of unwanted signals using lower SS
heights, but there will always remain randomness with mobility users mixed with dynamic allocation of
resources in UL that changes the picture completely each instance. OFDMA resource scheduler
mechanism is efficient but is complex to simulate and anticipated interference is more probabilistic rather
than pre-determined; combined with limited reuse factor interference avoidance remains one of the biggest
challenges for network designers.
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Tags: Uplink, WiMAX, interference
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Comment by Robert Syputa on October 2, 2009 at 10:06pm

"The odds of interference lessens if system is on average having higher UL MCS (Modulation and
Coding Sequence), as less slots are occupied per subscriber to meet QoS requirement, but this raises
the needs for high UL CINR levels to meet MCS requirements."
Thanks for excellent discussion.
But your comment drives back to greater use of distributed network architectures: granular,
aggregated layered network topologies. Reduce range, sub-channel, self-configure.

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