Wireless communications using flexible channel bandwidth

1. A method of communicating in a mobile radio communications network, comprising:

provisioning a consecutive series of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers for uplink or downlink communications;

provisioning a plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings for the consecutive series of OFDM subcarriers;

performing discrete Fourier transform (DFT) coding on a plurality of data symbols to produce coded symbols;

performing an inverse-DFT on the coded symbols to produce a single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal that comprises a sum of the consecutive series of OFDM subcarriers; and

transmitting the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal in the mobile radio communications network;

wherein provisioning the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings comprises providing the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal with a particular one of a set of different symbol periods by selecting one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings equals at least one other of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings multiplied by a scaling factor that is a power of two.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a cyclic prefix to the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal prior to transmitting.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings are integer multiples of a first subcarrier spacing.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings is configured for different deployment scenarios comprising different system requirements or different channel conditions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of different subcarrier spacings provides a different number of symbols per frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performing the inverse-DFT employs a discrete Fourier transform with a plurality of sampling rates that comprise harmonic frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a delay spread in the mobile radio communication network; and based on the delay spread, employing a first numerology or a second numerology; wherein the first numerology comprises a first one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings, and the second numerology comprises a second one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings.

9. An apparatus for communicating in a mobile radio communications network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing one or more instructions; and

at least one processor in communication with the non-transitory computer-readable memory; wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

provision a consecutive series of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers for uplink or downlink communications;

provision a plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings for the consecutive series of OFDM subcarriers;

perform discrete Fourier transform (DFT) coding on a plurality of data symbols to produce DFT coded symbols;

perform an inverse-DFT on the coded symbols to produce a single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal that comprises a sum of the consecutive series of OFDM subcarriers; and

transmit the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal in the mobile radio communications network;

wherein the one or more instructions cause the at least one processor to provide the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal with one of a set of different selectable symbol periods by selecting one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings equals at least one other of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings multiplied by a scaling factor that is a power of two.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising one or more instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to add a cyclic prefix to the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings are integer multiples of a first subcarrier spacing.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings is configured for one of a plurality of different deployment scenarios, the plurality of different deployment scenarios comprising different system requirements or different channel conditions.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings provides a different number of symbols per frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the inverse-DFT a plurality of sampling rates that comprise harmonic frequencies.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more instructions that cause the at least one processor to provide the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal with one of a set of different selectable symbol periods determine a delay spread in the mobile radio communication network; and based on the delay spread, select a first numerology or a second numerology; wherein the first numerology comprises a first one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings, and the second numerology comprises a second one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings.

17. An apparatus for communicating in a mobile radio communications network, comprising:

a transceiver-control circuitry configured for:

provisioning a consecutive series of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) subcarriers for uplink or downlink communications;

provisioning a plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings for the consecutive series of OFDM subcarriers; and

performing discrete Fourier transform (DFT) coding on a plurality of data symbols to produce DFT coded symbols; and

an OFDM transceiver communicatively coupled to the transceiver-control circuitry and configured for:

performing an inverse-DFT on the coded symbols to produce a single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal that comprises a sum of the consecutive series of OFDM subcarriers; and

transmitting the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal in the mobile radio communications network;

wherein provisioning the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings comprises providing the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal with a particular one of a set of different symbol periods by selecting one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings equals at least one other of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings multiplied by a scaling factor that is a power of two.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the OFDM transceiver is further configured to add a cyclic prefix to the single-carrier frequency division multiple access signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings comprise integer multiples of a first subcarrier spacing.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings is configured for one of a plurality of different deployment scenarios, the plurality of different deployment scenarios comprising different system requirements or different channel characteristics.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings produces a different number of symbols per frame.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the OFDM transceiver employs a discrete Fourier transform with a plurality of sampling rates that comprises harmonic frequencies.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the transceiver-control circuitry is configured for determining a delay spread; and based on the delay spread, causing the transceiver to employ a first numerology or a second numerology; wherein the first numerology comprises a first one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings, and the second numerology comprises a second one of the plurality of different selectable subcarrier spacings.