Interference identification for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based systems

Disclosed are various embodiments that are directed towards distinguishing between various types of interference in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communication system. According to some embodiments, the system receives a set of symbols encoded in a predetermined subcarrier activation pattern according to an OFDM protocol. The system may determine a plurality of time averaged interference values, each time averaged interference value corresponding to a respective subcarrier index expressed in the set of symbols. Then, the system may separate frequency-based interference from time-based interference according to the plurality of time averaged interference values