Coverage Performance in MIMO-ZFBF Dense HetNets with Multiplexing and LOS/NLOS Path-Loss Attenuation

The performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiplexing heterogenous cellular networks are often analyzed using a single-exponent path-loss model. Thus, the effect of the expected line-of-sight (LOS) propagation in densified settings is unaccounted for, leading to inaccurate performance evaluation and/or inefficient system design. This is due to the complexity of LOS/non-LOS models in the context of MIMO communications. We address this issue by developing an analytical framework based on stochastic geometry to evaluate the coverage performance. We focus on the zero-forcing beamforming where the maximum signal-to-interference ratio is used for cell association. We analytically derive the coverage. We then investigate the cross-stream interference correlation, and develop two approximations of the coverage: Alzer Approximation (A-A) and Gamma Approximation (G-A). The former is often used in the single antenna and single-stream MIMO. We extend A-A to a MIMO multiplexing system and evaluate its utility. We show that the inverse interference is well-fitted by a Gamma random variable, where its parameters are directly related to the system parameters. The accuracy and robustness of G-A is higher than that of A-A. We observe that depending on the multiplexing gain, it is possible to attain the best coverage probability by proper densification.