2024/07/08 by Emil Björnson, Björnson, Emil, Ferdi Kara +9 · 18 citations
Engineering · #Advanced MIMO Systems Optimization #Antenna Design and Analysis #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Electrical engineering #Information Theory (cs.IT) #Signal Processing (eess.SP) #Wireless Body Area Networks #electronic engineering #information engineering
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2407.05630
openalex publication_date 2024/07/08 · openalex created_date 2024/07/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The initial 6G networks will likely operate in the upper mid-band (7-24 GHz), which has decent propagation conditions but underwhelming new spectrum availability. In this paper, we explore whether we can anyway reach the ambitious 6G performance goals by evolving the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology from massive in 5G to gigantic in 6G. We describe how many antennas are needed to reach the envisioned 6G peak user rates, how many can realistically be deployed in practical radio equipment, and what the practical spatial degrees-of-freedom might become. We further suggest a new deployment strategy that enables the utilization of radiative near-field effects in these bands for precise beamfocusing, localization, and sensing from a single base station site. Finally, we identify open research and standardization challenges that must be overcome to efficiently use gigantic MIMO dimensions in 6G from hardware, cost, and algorithmic perspectives.