Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (SOFDMA or S-OFDMA)

Definition - What does Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (SOFDMA or S-OFDMA) mean?

Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (SOFDMA) refers to the air interface outlined for portable or mobile Wi-MAX systems by IEEE, used in IEEE 802.16e(2005) standard. SOFDMA, in simple words, is the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) mode employed in Mobile Wi-MAX outlined in IEEE 802.16e. Scalability is backed by modifying the size of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size when correcting the sub-carrier frequency spacing in 10.94 kHz.

SOFDMA supports channel bandwidths which range from 1.25 MHz to 20 MHz. It adds bandwidth scalability, which helps mobile Wi-MAX technology conform to multiple frequency regulations around the globe.

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Techopedia explains Scalable Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (SOFDMA or S-OFDMA)

Larger FFT size is provided to wider channels, while smaller FFT size to lower bandwidth channels. SOFDMA makes the sub-carrier frequency spacing constant, which lowers the system complexity of smaller channels and also enhances the efficiency of wider channels.

Basic principles of SOFDMA

The sub-carrier spacing does not depend on bandwidth
The volume of sub-carriers scales with bandwidth
The smallest unit of bandwidth allocation, depending on the idea of sub-channels, is fixed and bandwidth independent
The volume of sub-channels scales with bandwidth, and the ability of every individual sub-channel remains constant

As well as variable FFT sizes, SOFDMA supports the following features:

Advanced Modulation and Coding (AMC)
Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) in DL and UL
High-efficiency uplink sub-channel structures
Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (H-ARQ)
Other default features including a range of sub-carriers allocation in addition to diversity schemes.

Spectral efficiency, and combating Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) and Inter Carrier Interference (ICI) are two major benefits of SOFDMA, while requirement for strict synchronization and Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) are two disadvantages.