Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access and Network Slicing: Scalable Coexistence of eMBB and URLLC

The 5G systems feature three generic services: enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) and Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications (URLLC). The diverse requirements of these services in terms of data-rates, number of connected devices, latency and reliability can lead to a sub-optimal use of the 5G network, thus network slicing is proposed as a solution that creates customized slices of the network specifically designed to meet the requirements of each service. Under the network slicing, the radio resources can be shared in orthogonal and non-orthogonal schemes. Motivated by Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) scenarios where a large number of sensors may require connectivity with stringent requirements of latency and reliability, we propose the use of Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) to improve the number of URLLC devices that are connected in the uplink to the same base station (BS), for both orthogonal and non-orthogonal network slicing with eMBB devices. The multiple URLLC devices transmit simultaneously and across multiple frequency channels. We set the reliability requirements for the two services and evaluate the pairs of achievable sum rates. We show that, even with overlapping transmissions from multiple eMBB and URLLC devices, the use of NOMA techniques allows us to guarantee the reliability requirements for both services.