A cross layer protocol with hybrid multi channel MC-CDMA/OFDMA

Existing Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) networks solutions based on IEEE 802.11 have be known to perform badly in the presence of noise and interference. These networks therefore have problems with the scalability of crowded networks, with the result being highly variable delays rendering them unsuitable to delay sensitive applications such as voice and video. Here, interference causes significant unfairness and loss of throughput. This paper presents a novel protocol that solves many of the problems of 802.11 by using a combined OFDMA and MC-CDMA PHY layer to create a highly robust and 802.11 type system. We describe how the MAC protocol should interact in a novel way with this PHY for maximized channel utilization, how code should be assigned without a centralized entity and how code collisions should be avoided. Extensive simulations is performed that show that our protocol outperforms 802.11, and achieves improved throughput, lowered delay with significant fairness improvement.