Variable - Length (8 to 1024 bits) Polar Codes for Enhanced 5G NR Performance

Abstract

Polar codes have been adopted as the channel coding technique for control channels in the 5G New Radio (5G NR) standard due to their capacity-achieving capability and efficient decoding performance. However, conventional polar coding schemes often use fixed block lengths, which may not fully utilize channel resources under varying data requirements. This paper proposes a Variable-Length Polar Coding framework ranging from 8 to 1024 bits to enhance the flexibility and performance of 5G NR communication systems. The proposed approach dynamically adjusts the code length according to the size of the transmitted data while maintaining reliable error-correction capability. An optimized encoding and decoding structure is implemented using polar code construction techniques combined with efficient successive cancellation–based decoding methods. The system is designed to support a wide range of payload sizes while ensuring improved bit error rate (BER) performance and efficient resource utilization. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed variable-length polar coding scheme provides enhanced reliability, reduced latency, and improved spectral efficiency compared to conventional fixed-length coding methods. The results indicate that the proposed method can effectively support diverse communication requirements in modern 5G NR networks, making it suitable for applications requiring adaptive and efficient channel coding mechanisms