As the next generation cellular system, 5G network is required to provide a large variety of services for different kinds of terminals, from traditional voice and data services over mobile phones to small packet transmission over massive machine-type terminals. Although orthogonal-subcarrier based waveform has been widely used nowadays in many practical systems, it can hardly meet the future requirements in the coming 5G networks. Therefore, more flexible waveforms have been proposed to address the unprecedented challenges. In this article, we will provide comprehensive analysis and comparison for the typical waveform candidates. To obtain insightful analysis, we will not only introduce the basic principles of the waveforms but also reveal the underlying characteristics of each waveform. Moreover, a comprehensive comparison in terms of different performance metrics will be also presented in this article, which provide an overall understanding of the new waveforms.
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