Communication system with PAPR management using noise-bearing subcarriers

A communication system (20) includes a base station (22) and a number of peak-managed user equipment apparatuses (26) that simultaneously transmit peak-reduced FDMA communication signals (128) to the base station (22). The communication system (20) exclusively assigns payload subcarriers (44) to the apparatuses (26) and assigns a few noise-bearing subcarriers (48) for common simultaneous use by all apparatuses (26). Each user equipment apparatus (26) includes a peak reduction section (92) that distorts an otherwise undistorted modulated communication signal (86) into a distorted, peak-reduced communication signal (128) by generating and adding peak-reduction noise (131) to the undistorted signal (86). The peak-reduction noise (131) is primarily mapped onto the noise-bearing subcarriers (48) without conforming to an in-band noise constraint and may be mapped onto the assigned payload subcarriers (44) to the extent permitted by an in-band noise constraint. The peak-reduction noise (131) is blocked in unassigned payload subcarriers (46).