Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) for future downlink radio access of 5G

Multiple access (MA) technology is of most importance for 5G. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) utilizing power domain and advanced receiver has been considered as a promising candidate MA technology recently. In this paper, the NOMA concept is presented toward future enhancements of spectrum efficiency in lower frequency bands for downlink of 5G system. Key component technologies of NOMA are presented and discussed including multiuser transmission power allocation, scheduling algorithm, receiver design and combination of NOMA with multi-antenna technology. The performance gains of NOMA are evaluated by system-level simulations with very practical assumptions. Under multiple configurations and setups, the achievable system-level gains of NOMA are shown promising even when practical considerations were taken into account.