Leo Hedlund

Transmit diversity in WCDMA: link and system level results

In the current WCDMA standard, support for transmit diversity is provided in the down-link to combat fading and changing interference situations. The base station (node B) is equipped with two transmit antennas, while the terminal (user equipment, UE) uses only a single antenna. This arrangement is advantageous compared to receive diversity as it removes the need for two antennas in the terminal. This paper describes the various transmit diversity schemes in WCDMA and gives simulation results, both at the link and system levels. It is found that transmit diversity can greatly improve the system capacity.