Faster-than-nyquist system design for next-generation fixed transmission networks

通过我们的数据通信网络的流量一直在以惊人的速度增长。根据最近的预测，这一趋势将继续有增无减，对网络基础设施的宽带传输能力产生巨大需求，并使核心通信网络中现有的光纤和微波链路严重紧张。虽然我们看到这些链路的容量在最近的过去取得了巨大的进步，但技术限制使供应商难以以低成本/比特比提供更高容量的传输。增加每单位时间和频率可以可靠传输的数据量，即，提高现有链路的频谱效率是应对这一挑战的根本途径。在拟议项目中，我们将研究通过光纤和微波链路实现更高效宽带通信的解决方案。我们的方法是基于比奈奎斯特（FTN）传输，这使我们能够挤压更多的数据比传统的传输到可用的频带和时隙的通信理论范式。这是以增加数据检测的复杂性为代价的。因此，拟议的研究的主要重点是开发信号和检测方法，实现有利的效益-成本权衡，使FTN的承诺可以实现。为此，我们与一家通信基础设施供应商合作，开发了一项研究计划，该计划将推进FTN技术的前沿，并帮助将FTN理论转化为高速光纤和微波链路的解决方案。

Traffic through our data communication networks has been increasing at a staggering pace. According to recent forecasts, this trend will continue unabated, generating an enormous demand for broadband transmission capability from the network infrastructure and heavily straining the existing fiber optic and microwave links in the core communication networks. While we have seen tremendous progress in the capacity of these links in the recent past, technological limitations make it difficult for vendors to provide even higher capacity transmission at a low cost/bit ratio. Increasing the amount of data that can be transmitted reliably per unit time and frequency, i.e., increasing spectral efficiency of existing links is a fundamental way to address this challenge.In the proposed project, we will investigate solutions for more efficient broadband communication over optical-fibre and microwave links. Our approach is based on the communication-theoretic paradigm of faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) transmission, which enables us to squeeze more data than possible with conventional transmission into available frequency bands and time slots. This comes at the price of increased complexity of data detection. The main thrust of the proposed research is thus to develop signalling and detection methods that achieve a favourable benefit-cost trade-off, so that the promises of FTN can be realized. For this purpose, we partnered with a vendor of communication infrastructure and developed a research program that will advance the frontiers of FTN technology and help turning FTN theory into solutions for high-speed optical-fibre and microwave links.