Asymptotic error rates in third-generation wireless systems

The introduction of the so-called third-generation wireless communication system, also known as UMTS or IMT-2000, is a large-scale revolution in telecommunications. It uses a technique called code division multiple access (CDMA). An advanced algorithm to improve the performance of such a CDMA system is called hard-decision parallel interface cancellation and was studied by van der Hofstad and Klok for a rather basic model. We extend many of their results to a more realistic model, where different users transmit at different powers and where additive noise is present.