Average error probability of digital cellular radio systems using MRC diversity in the presence of multiple interferers

The performance of digital cellular radio systems employing maximal ratio combining diversity is analyzed in a flat-fading channel with cochannel interference and additive white Gaussian noise. It is assumed that the desired signal may experience Rice fading (due to the presence of a line-of-sight component), while the interferers are Rayleigh-faded and may have similar or dissimilar average powers. Exact expressions are derived for the average symbol-error probability of M-ary phase-shift keying modulation in the presence of multiple independent Rayleigh-faded interferers.