The Impact of Numerology on the PDSCH Throughput of the 5G Downlink

The introduction of 5G technology has provided numerous improvements in wireless communication systems, like higher data rates, lower latency, power efficiency, and enhanced spectral efficiency. Subcarrier spacing is one of the most important elements affecting system performance. This paper studies the influence of numerology on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) throughput in the 5G NR downlink. Two types of channel models and different bandwidths are used to evaluate the throughput as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio. This paper aims to find the right numerology for various bandwidths, channel models, and signal-to-noise ratio levels. Results show that the throughput increases as the numerology index decreases for the CDL-C channel model. In contrast, for the TDL-C channel model, increasing the numerology index does not always mean increasing throughput. It can result in decreased throughput in some scenarios.