SC-FDMA
Single Carrier

LTE uplink requirements differ from downlink requirements in several ways. Not surprisingly, power consumption is a key consideration for UE terminals. The high PAPR and related loss of efficiency associated with OFDM signalling are major concerns. As a result, an alternative to OFDM was sought for use in the LTE uplink. SC-FDMA is well suited to the LTE uplink requirements. The basic transmitter and receiver architecture is very similar (nearly identical) to OFDMA, and it offers the same degree of multipath protection. Importantly, because the underlying waveform is essentially single-carrier, the PAPR is lower.

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