Towards versatile access networks (Chapter 3)

Compared to its previous generations, the 5th generation (5G) cellular network features an additional type of densification, i.e., a large number of active antennas per access point (AP) can be deployed. This technique is known as massive multipleinput multiple-output (mMIMO) [1]. Meanwhile, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) evolution, e.g., in channel state information (CSI) enhancement, and also on the study of a larger number of orthogonal demodulation reference signal (DMRS) ports for MU-MIMO, was one of the Release 18 of 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP Rel-18) work item. This release (3GPP Rel-18) package approval, in the fourth quarter of 2021, marked the start of the 5G Advanced evolution in 3GPP. The other items in 3GPP Rel-18 are to study and add functionality in the areas of network energy savings, coverage, mobility support, multicast broadcast services, and positionin

Architecture landscape

The network architecture evolution journey will carry on in the years ahead, driving a large scale adoption of 5th Generation (5G) and 5G-Advanced use cases with significantly decreased deployment and operational costs, and enabling new and innovative use-case-driven solutions towards 6th Generation (6G) with higher economic and societal values. The goal of this chapter, thus, is to present the envisioned societal impact, use cases and the End-to-End (E2E) 6G architecture. The E2E 6G architecture includes summarization of the various technical enablers as well as the system and functional views of the architecture

Distributed MIMO Systems for 6G

This study focuses on Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) systems and provides a discussion about their role in next generation networks. The paradigm shift to distributed networks offers great potential to address the 6G requirements, through macro diversity. As 6G scenarios and use cases continue to emerge, new challenges are likely to arise that may affect the widespread imp-lementation of D-MIMO. To address those, different deployment options have been proposed for roll-out considerations. They are composed of several sub-components that can be categorized as (i) wireless or wired fronthaul/backhaul, (ii) analog or digital signals, (iii) distributed or centralized processing, and (iv) coherent or non-coherent transmission. To facilitate standardization efforts, we provide 3GPP-aligned terminology for network nodes, multi-point transmission and reception schemes. In order to enable large-scale implementation of D-MIMO systems, it is important to determine the needed amount of distribution, develop practical solutions for high-frequency bands, and ways to convey data that meet the transport requirements. On this regard, we discuss key enablers and present simulation results for D-MIMO systems towards 6G. In particular, we present solutions for D-MIMO networks in dynamic scenarios related to channel estimation and layer-l mobility considering coherent and non-coherent joint transmission, and analog fronthaul implementation using analog-radio-over-fiber that are promising for high (upper mm-Wave and (sub-)THz) carrier frequencies, as well as integrated access and backhaul, network-controlled repeaters, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces that are possible enablers for cost-efficient network densification at both low (cm-Wave, lower mm-Wave) and high carrier frequencies