Ultra-broadband mobile networks from LTE-Advanced to 5G: Evaluation of massive MIMO and multi-carrier aggregation effectiveness

LTE-Advanced networks are spreading widely across the world and they are continuing to evolve as new device features such MIMO 4×4, Carrier Aggregation are being released to move towards the peak data rates introduced by 3GPP Release 12 and 13. Mobile network Operators are looking for technologies that guarantee higher spectral efficiency and wider spectrum usage but they have to deal with limitations due to commercial devices' RF components. This paper analyzes several scenarios, compares them and suggests deployment strategies.