Cooperative Cellular Networks: Overcoming the Effects of Real-World Impairments

The fifth generation (5G) of mobile communication systems will need to support new applications with a variety of requirements, including high data rates, low latency, improved reliability, and sup-port for a large number of devices. We believe that these demands can be satisfied by the combined use of additional spectrum at higher frequencies, small cells, a more advanced air interface, and spectrally efficient transmission using multiple antennas. Base station (BS) cooperation is an advanced multiantenna technique that has the potential to eliminate intercell interference and enhance spectral efficiency. But attaining effective BS cooperation is challenged by a number of real-world channel and synchronization impairments.