Abstract: A receiver may reduce the effects of distortion when determining signal usability in the following manner. Upon receiving a signal, the receiver separates a desired component, an undesired component, and a distortion component, wherein the desired component includes the signal that was originally transmitted and the undesired component includes interference and noise. Having isolated the distortion component, it can be mitigated such that the usability of the signal received can be determined based on a ratio between the desired and undesired components.