Filter Bank Multicarrier Modulation: A Waveform Candidate for 5G and Beyond

Recent discussions on viable technologies for 5G emphasize on the need for waveforms with better spectral containment per subcarrier than the celebrated orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) is an alternative technology that can serve this need. Subcarrier waveforms are built based on a prototype filter that is designed with this emphasis in mind. This paper presents a broad review of the research work done in the wireless laboratory of the University of Utah in the past 15 years. It also relates this research to the works done by other researchers. The theoretical basis based on which FBMC waveforms are constructed is discussed. Also, various methods of designing effective prototype filters are presented. For completeness, polyphase structures that are used for computationally efficient implementation of FBMC systems are introduced and their complexity is contrasted with that of OFDM. The problems of channel equalization as well as synchronization and tracking methods in FBMC systems are given a special consideration and a few outstanding research problems are identified. Moreover, this paper brings up a number of appealing features of FBMC waveforms that make them an ideal choice in the emerging areas of multiuser and massive MIMO networks.

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