Extension of the Coverage Region of Multiple Access Channels by Using a Relay

From practical and theoretical viewpoints, performance analysis of communication systems by using information-theoretic results is important. In this paper, based on our previous work on Multiple Access Channel (MAC) and Multiple Access Relay Channel (MARC), we analyze the impact of a relay on the fundamental wireless communications concept, i.e., coverage region of MARC, as a basic model for uplink communications between a base station and users with the help of a relay. This analysis includes the coverage region for the MAC as a special case. Considering rate regions for the Gaussian MARC and fading Gaussian MARC, it is proved that in a fixed transmission rate, the relay extends coverage region of the MARC. Numerical illustrations confirm our theoretical results.