Using AMC and HARQ to Optimize System Capacity and Application Delays in WiMAX Networks

The IEEE 802.16 technology (WiMAX) is a promising technology for providing last-mile connectivity by radio link due to its high speed data rates, low cost of deployment, and large coverage area. However, the maximum number of channels defined in the current system may cause a potential bottleneck and limit the overall system capacity. The aim of this paper is to compare the impact on system performance of different solutions used to mitigate the impairments due to the radio channel. In particular, taking into account the WiMAX system capacity as well as application delays, the paper presents the simulation results obtained when a static QPSK 1⁄2 Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) is adopted. Then, the study is aimed at evaluating the improvements introduced by the adoption of an adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) and an AMC jointly with Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ). Results indicate that the best strategy is to use an aggressive AMC table with the HARQ.