FDMA capacity of Gaussian multiple-access channels with ISI

This paper proposes a numerical method for characterizing the rate region achievable with frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) for a Gaussian multiple-access channel with intersymbol interference. The frequency spectrum is divided into discrete frequency bins and the discrete bin-assignment problem is shown to have a convex relaxation, making it tractable to numerical optimization algorithms. A practical low-complexity algorithm for the two-user case is also proposed. The algorithm is based on the observation that the optimal frequency partition has a two-band structure when the two channels are identical or when the signal-to-noise ratio is high. Simulation result shows that the algorithm performs well in other cases as well. The FDMA-capacity algorithm is used to devise the optimal frequency-division duplex plan for very-high-speed digital subscriber lines.