Study of different waveform performance for enhanced communications in 5G and beyond networks

Abstract

This work aims to evaluate FBMC modulation in comparison to OFDM for 5G networks, considering the need to explore technological alternatives for 5G and beyond. Although OFDM is maintained in 5G due to its compatibility with 4G systems, FBMC is presented as a promising option to improve spectral efficiency and reduce latency. The methodology employed consists of MATLAB simulations in three different scenarios: indoor, rural and urban. In each scenario, key parameters such as BER versus SNR, latency, spectral efficiency and throughput are compared. These simulations allow us to determine which modulation is best suited to the different conditions. The results indicate that, in terms of BER vs. SNR, both FBMC and OFDM show similar performance in rural and urban environments, while in indoor environments, FBMC requires a high sampling rate and larger inter-subcarrier spacing to assume adequate BER values. On the other hand, FBMC excels in all scenarios in latency, thanks to having no cyclic prefix, as it reduces latency and makes it more suitable for applications requiring URLLC communications in 5G. FBMC also offers better spectral efficiency in all cases analyzed, which makes it an attractive alternative in environments with high user density, such as urban areas. However, it should be emphasized that FBMC involves higher complexity and higher SNR to achieve optimal performance, this is a disadvantage in terms of cost and implementation compared to OFDM. In conclusion, while OFDM remains a robust and cost-effective option for 5G deployments, FBMC excels in scenarios where latency and spectral efficiency are critical. In future work, system optimization using equalizers could be implemented to decrease the number of errors and be able to use higher order modulations. In this way we could fully explore the capabilities of FBMC in environments with high data demands.