Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and Design of Cost-Efficient Cell-Free Massive MIMO Systems

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the costs of cell-free massive MIMO systems and proposes a design that balances performance with cost-efficiency by using multi-antenna access points.

Contribution

It introduces a unified cost model for cell-free massive MIMO and demonstrates how multi-antenna APs can reduce costs while maintaining high performance.

Findings

Multi-antenna APs can lower deployment costs.

A cost-effective design framework for cell-free massive MIMO.

Insights into practical implementation costs.

Abstract

Cell-free massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) has recently attracted much attention, attributed to its potential to deliver uniform service quality. However, the adoption of a cell-free architecture raises concerns about the high implementation costs associated with deploying numerous distributed access points (APs) and the need for fronthaul network installation. To ensure the sustainability of next-generation wireless networks, it is crucial to improve cost-effectiveness, alongside achieving high performance. To address this, we conduct a cost analysis of cell-free massive MIMO and build a unified model with varying numbers of antennas per AP. Our objective is to explore whether employing multi-antenna APs could reduce system costs while maintaining performance. The analysis and evaluation result in the identification of a cost-effective design for cell-free massive MIMO, providing valuable insights for practical implementation.