WiMAX spectrum efficiency: Considerations and simulation results

Scheduling algorithms are very important in WiMAX allowing an efficient radio resources distribution to the uplink and downlink connections. However, the IEEE 802.16 standard does not specify which scheduling algorithm(s) should be used. In this paper, we propose a review of scheduling algorithms proposed for WiMAX / IEEE 802.16 system. We also propose some considerations for the spectrum efficiency computations of scheduling algorithms in WiMAX. Then, we calculate the satisfaction percentage and spectrum efficiency for three scheduling approaches. Figures are given for three scenarios (pessimistic, optimistic and realistic) allowing interesting observations about WiMAX radio efficiency. These results can be used as an order of magnitude for more sophisticated studies on this important topic. The paper ends with some interesting comments about WiMAX scheduling.