A Survey of Relative Spectrum Efficiency of Mobile Voice Communication Systems

This paper provides definitions of spectrum efficiency for general communication systems, then simplifies the definitions so that the spectrum efficiency of several contemporary mobile radio systems can be easily compared. A variety of systems currently in use and proposed for near-term deployment are compared to analog FM dispatch radio. The calculations show a ratio of 1 million between the most efficient and least efficient of the systems considered. Based on these calculations, a comparison can be made between various technologies and their ability to deliver communication systems with a very high spectrum efficiency.