Reduction of co-channel interference in GSM by joint channel and data estimation

Multiuser detection is a powerful tool for combating cochannel interference in multiple-access communication systems. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of achieving increased spectral efficiency in GSM-like TDMA networks by applying multiuser detection. Two special cases are considered: In the first scenario, two users are served simultaneously in the same cell. In the second one, two users in adjacent cells are served on the same frequency. We focus on downlink operation. Multiple receive antennas at the mobile terminals provide the processing gain necessary to enable efficient multiuser detection. We propose an efficient iterative receiver structure that performs joint channel estimation and data detection. The performance is evaluated by means of simulations. (Less)