Network Slicing for eMBB and mMTC with Finite Blocklength Codes

Network slicing appears as a key enabler for next-generation wireless networks and together with multiple access schemes can meet the quality of service (QoS) requirements of various users and services. Thus, in this work, a heteroge-neous uplink network is investigated, where enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) users coexist and share the same resources. The problem of maximizing the sum-rate of eMBB users utilizing the rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) protocol is formulated and optimally solved, whereas the optimal decoding order and power splitting factor are investigated. In addition, short packet communications are taken into account for the mMTC users and their optimal transmission power is derived in closed form. Simulation results verify the enhancement that the RSMA scheme provide compared to the NOMA counterpart.