Massive MIMO Technologies for 5G/6G Communications

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, large-scale or massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques have been proposed to significantly improve the performance of wireless networks. Massive MIMO base stations are equipped with a large number of antennas, co-located or distributed around the main base station site, so as to mitigate the effects of noise, fading, and multi-user interference. The key enabler lies in the asymptotic orthogonal properties of the large-dimensional random vectors associated with the massive MIMO channels, and in the large array gains that massive MIMO arrays offer. Additional promises of large-scale antenna systems include (i) lending themselves to low-complexity precoding/detection, (ii) savings in terms of radiated RF energy per transmitted information bit, (iii) enabling hardware-friendly waveform shaping, and (iv) reduced sensitivity to distortions that stem from hardware non-linearities and imperfections. However, challenges remain regarding both fundamental performance analysis and implementation of massive MIMO systems in real-life scenarios. The goal of this Special issue Is to present the recent developments in massive MIMO technologies with the aim of their potential integration into 5G and 6G networks. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Channel estimation for massive MIMO systems;
• Low-complexity precoding and decoding design for massive MIMO systems;
• Energy-efficient signal processing for massive MIMO systems; 
• Channel modelling and performance analysis; 
• Network architectures and wireless transmission techniques; 
• Resource allocation and management strategies for massive MIMO; 
• Testbeds, experimental measurements, and performance evaluation; 
• AI-based techniques, machine learning and deep learning for massive MIMO;
• Novel multiple access protocols (e.g. grant free transmission, massive connection, etc.); 
• URLLC/massive machine types of communications; 
• Physical-layer security in massive MIMO; 
• Reconfigurable intelligent surface-aided massive MIMO; 
• Massive MIMO communications for UAVs; 
• Massive MIMO for millimeter-wave/terahertz communications; 
• Edge computing and smart caching in distributed antenna systems; 
• Energy- and cost-efficient design of massive MIMO.

Dr. Guimei Zheng
Dr. Juan Bai
Dr. Binbin Li
Guest Editors

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• massive MIMO systems
• wireless transmission techniques
• massive MIMO communications for UAVs
• edge computing