TITAN researchers from the University of Essex, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, are tackling one of the biggest challenges in modern wireless communication: spectrum scarcity. Their project…
TITAN researchers from the University of Essex, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, are tackling one of the biggest challenges in modern wireless communication: spectrum scarcity. Their project focuses on enhancing spectral efficiency and improving robustness against multipath fading by combining Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) with Sparse Code Multiple Access (SCMA). To validate the concept, the team developed a USRP-based testbed that demonstrates how multiple users can reliably share the same time–frequency resources while achieving significantly higher data capacity.
The innovative system employs OFDM integrated with SCMA, enabling flexible resource allocation and improved resistance to interference. Through this experimental setup, the researchers achieved up to a 50% improvement in spectral efficiency compared to traditional orthogonal schemes. The testbed also provides a flexible and scalable platform for non-orthogonal multiuser communication experiments, offering an important contribution to ongoing efforts in developing more efficient communication technologies for next-generation wireless networks.
As project researcher, Dr Mehmood Alam notes, “this project demonstrates a practical path to more efficient and resilient wireless networks, paving the way for the next generation of connected technologies.”
This research holds strong promise for real-world applications, particularly in the wireless and telecommunications industries. Mobile network operators could adopt SCMA to serve more users and deliver higher data rates in densely populated urban areas. The project’s reconfigurable testbed also offers a valuable tool for industry–academia collaboration, allowing for the rapid prototyping and testing of new concepts before deployment at scale. Such advances are crucial as the world transitions toward 5G and 6G networks, where efficient use of limited spectrum resources is essential.
The work was conducted in close collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and is being led by Prof. Zilong Liu and Prof. Yong Liang Guan. This partnership enabled the design and development of a sophisticated, real-time testbed capable of validating advanced communication techniques under realistic operating conditions.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to scale up the system to support more users and investigate higher-order SCMA schemes to further boost data capacity and reliability. Future iterations of the testbed could play a key role in enabling the next generation of wireless technologies, supporting applications ranging from smart cities and autonomous vehicles to massive IoT connectivity.
The research is a part of TITAN Lighthouse Project 5 (LP5): Non-Terrestrial Network Design and Optimisation. The project explores the development and enhancement of communication systems that operate beyond traditional ground-based infrastructure, such as satellite and high-altitude platform networks.
TITAN is part of the Federated Telecoms Hubs (FTH) alongside CHEDDAR, HASC, and JOINER. Together, we conduct world-leading R&D and create a new knowledge-sharing framework, roadmap technology, develop skills, and engage with standards while instilling a commercialisation-focused mindset across academia.
If you have any questions about the research discussed in this article, please contact titan-enquiries@eng.cam.ac.uk.
