Suitability of OFDM in 5G Waveform – A Review

Abstract

Systematic pursuits are being developed to set forth the framework for the Fifth Generation (5G) wireless standards. This paper emphases on the most extensively deployed technology - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) that has outpaced other waveform aspirants for Fourth Generation (4G) communication standards. Irrespective of the beneficial features, it does possess a number of significant limitations that mark it as an incompatible candidate for the upcoming 5G standard. This paper highlights on its major drawback i.e high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR). Results state that PAPR does cause sudden upsurge to the output signal envelope causing further other damages. There exists a need for more flexible waveforms to replace the conventional OFDM in order to address the unprecedented challenges. The future research directions in the domain are presented.