IEEE Access Special Section Editorial: Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for 5G Systems

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been recently recognized as a promising multiple access technique to significantly improve the spectral efficiency of mobile communication networks. The key idea of NOMA is to encourage spectrum sharing, which is similar to the concept of cognitive radio networks. Take power domain NOMA as an example, where the power domain is used for multiple access. This is fundamentally different from the previous generations of mobile networks which have been relying on the time/frequency/code domain. It is worth mentioning that NOMA has been demonstrated to be compatible with many 5G techniques. Thus, the purpose of this Special Section in IEEE Access was to provide a forum for the latest research and innovations in NOMA technologies as well as their applications, and to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the design of 5G multiple access. We received a total of 29 submissions, and after a rigorous review process, 13 articles have been selected for publication, which are briefly discussed next.