Multi-Cell MIMO Cooperative Networks: A New Look at Interference

This paper presents an overview of the theory and currently known techniques for multi-cell MIMO (multiple input multiple output) cooperation in wireless networks. In dense networks where interference emerges as the key capacitylimiting factor, multi-cell cooperation can dramatically improve the system performance. Remarkably, such techniques literally exploit inter-cell interference by allowing the user data to be jointly processed by several interfering base stations, thus mimicking the benefits of a large virtual MIMO array. Multicell MIMO cooperation concepts are examined from different perspectives, including an examination of the fundamental information-theoretic limits, a review of the coding and signal processing algorithmic developments, and, going beyond that, consideration of very practical issues related to scalability and system-level integration. A few promising and quite fundamental research avenues are also suggested.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2010
• Where: JSAC
• Authors: David Gesbert, Stephen V. Hanly, Howard Huang, Shlomo Shamai, Osvaldo Simeone, Wei Yu
• Keywords: JSAC 2010, MIMO, Multi-cell Mimo, Multicell MIMO Cooperation