Frames FMA2 wideband‐CDMA for UMTS

The basic principles of the physical layer of the FRAMES (Future Radio Wideband Multiple Access System) FMA2 (FRAMES Multiple Access) wideband CDMA system are described in this paper. The FMA2 is part of the FRAMES dual mode platform designed as UMTS air interface, where the harmonisation with GSM is also taken into account. The main characteristics features in the FMA2 are the asynchronous network operation and flexible layer 1 support for the variable rate transmission needs. This paper presents also performance results, which allow to conclude that the FMA2 meets UMTS air interface requirements. The FMA2 concept was a major part of the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) wideband CDMA concept group, selected by ETSI as a basis for UMTS air interface for the paired frequency band.