MAC Layer Concepts to Support Space Division Multiple Access in OFDM based IEEE 802.16

Abstract

Advanced antenna technologies and algorithms have been developed during the last years. But until today, advanced antenna algorithms in the physical layer and the modes of operation in medium access layers have not been integrated in modern wireless systems. As one of the first standards the metropolitan area network IEEE 802.16 provides means to support smart antenna techniques. After a detailed introduction of the medium access control layer this article outlines the support of space division multiple access (SDMA) techniques by the wireless metropolitan area network IEEE 802.16. New concepts are introduced that allow and further optimize the use of SDMA techniques brought by intelligent antennas. First, the possibility to enable SDMA in the IEEE 802.16a-2003 protocol is investigated, and second the support of SDMA in the revised 802.16-2004 standard is elaborated in detail. To overcome current limitations of 802.16a-2003, an enhanced control structure is introduced in 802.16-2004 that masters a concurrent transmission and reception of data to/from several different subscriber stations. The approach facilitates a fully flexible structure which significantly improves system capacity.