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Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a technique for transmitting large amounts of digital data over a radio wave The technology works by splitting the radio signal into multiple smaller sub-signals that are then transmitted simultaneously at different frequencies to the receiver. OFDM reduces the amount of crosstalk in signal transmissions. When we talk about broadband wireless access, most of the action takes place at the Media Access Control (MAC) layer (layer 2) and the Physical (PHY) layer (layer 1 or the Air Interface) There are numerous types of broadband wireless air interfaces including single carrier, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). Others are Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) a cellular 3G technology, and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) also cellular 3G. With the advent of WiMAX, the terms OFDM and OFMDA, scalable OFDMA (sOFDMA), and Flarion's alternative version of OFDMA, Flash OFDM, have all become buzzwords, and subject to the standards process. Other terms such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Time Division duplex (TDD), and Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) modes play a part in the various flavors of this modulation scheme. The marketplace today seems to have decided that OFDM (or OFDMA) offers real advantages for broadband wireless transport. The WiMAX Forum has clearly focused on these technologies. The topics are, of course, very complex and in this article we will only be able to provide an overview. If one any particular aspect of this discussion is relevant to you, we recommend that you conduct further research. Before we delve into the arcane minutia of what are essentially subtle differences in OFDMA, let's go over the history of the topics involved
but ultimately rejected by the IEEE 802.16 working group. Whatever the relative merits for mobility, the two modes are essentially very similar. Much in common, among the differences The OFDM modulation scheme offers many advantages for broadband wireless transport. It supports high data rates. The design not only obviates multipath interference (where reflected signals return slightly out of phase, creating interference at the receiver) it can actually utilize multipath to increase signal quality by processing the reflected packets to increase gain. This technique also improves non-line of sight delivery. It supports both TDD and FDD, the latter of which provides symmetrical data delivery. The good news is that for most practical purposes, the terms sOFDMA and OFDMA can be used interchangeably as they are so similar. Both support sub channelization as a key technology. Flash OFDM is a bit different. Sub channelization allows all four variations (OFDM, Flash OFDM, sOFDMA and OFDMA) to split channels up into sub channels, even into several thousand sub channels. Essentially, a user on an OFDMA network is assigned a number of sub channels across the band. A user close to the base station would normally be assigned a larger number of channels with a high modulation scheme such as 64 QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) to deliver the most data throughput to that user. As the user moves farther away, the number of sub channels is re-assigned dynamically to fewer and fewer sub channels. However, the power allotted to each channel is raised. The modulation scheme could gradually shift from 16 QAM to Quaternary Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) (four channels) and even binary phase shift keying (BPSK) (two channels) at longer ranges. The data throughput drops as the channel capacity and modulation change, but the link maintains its strength. Cell sizes must not expand or contract. Each user must have a strong link to their base station until handoff. The tradeoff is lower throughput at the edge. In fixed wireless links, which typically use high gain directional antennas, this technique is less necessary. For mobile applications, especially with high speed handoffs, it is necessary. Customer devices typically feature omni-directional antennas which radiate in all directions but have lower gain than directional antennas. In this environment, sub channelization is necessary. Another technique called scalability was developed, resulting in sOFDMA