Pilot Reuse for Spatially Correlated Channels in Massive MIMO Networks

The next generations of wireless communications systems are expected to address new usage scenarios, such as machine-type communications (MTC) and the internet of things (IoT). These advancements will enable smart grids, smart cities, intelligent industrial systems, augmented and virtual reality, health and well-being aid systems, and home automation. However, each of these emerging applications comes with distinct requirements, which demand specialized support. Despite significant efforts in developing technologies to accommodate these applications, the current cellular systems are primarily designed for human-centric communications. Consequently, there is a pressing need to devise new methods and protocols that can effectively handle the massive numbers of devices and their diverse requirements.

This thesis aims to develop new algorithms and methods to support the connectivity of a huge numbers of devices. To achieve this, we propose new methods to leverage the additional degree of freedom provided by large antenna arrays and spatially multiplex users, enabling the simultaneous communication of multiple users. This is an essential component for reducing over-signaling and making wireless systems suitable for the enormous amount of machine-type communication devices.