An Analysis of OFDMA in Dense IEEE 802.11be Networks

This paper evaluates the performance of the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technique within dense IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) network environments. As traditional CSMA/CA-based networks reach their scalability limits, this work investigates how OFDMA interacts with key MAC layer features, specifically frame aggregation (A-MPDU/A-MSDU) and Spatial Reuse (SR), using BSS Coloring and OBSS/PD thresholds. Through simulation-based analysis, the work demonstrates that OFDMA provides substantial scalability gains, with throughput improvements of up to 49% in Downlink (DL) and 70% in Uplink (UL), while effectively preventing delay escalation. However, the results also reveal that these benefits are highly sensitive to Resource Unit (RU) granularity and scheduler design. In scenarios with frame aggregation, legacy OFDM may still offer higher throughput, and the effectiveness of Spatial Reuse remains highly constrained in UL and DL-OFDMA due to protocol and power density limitations. The paper concludes that maximizing Wi-Fi 7 performance requires precise parameter tuning adjusted to specific traffic types, network topologies, and utilized mechanisms.