Cell-Free Massive MIMO for 6G Wireless Communication Networks

The recently commercialized fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks have achieved many improvements, including air interface enhancement, spectrum expansion, and network intensification by several key technologies, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), millimeter-wave communications, and ultra-dense networking. Despite the deployment of 5G commercial systems, wireless communications is still facing many challenges to enable connected intelligence and a myriad of applications such as industrial Internet-of-things, autonomous systems, brain-computer interfaces, digital twin, tactile Internet, etc. Therefore, it is urgent to start research on the sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems. Among the candidate technologies for 6G, cell-free massive MIMO, which combines the advantages of distributed systems and massive MIMO, is a promising solution to enhance the wireless transmission efficiency and provide better coverage. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study on cell-free massive MIMO for 6G wireless communication networks with a special focus on the signal processing perspective. Specifically, we introduce enabling physical layer technologies for cell-free massive MIMO, such as user association, pilot assignment, transmitter, and receiver design, as well as power control and allocation. Furthermore, some current and future research problems are described.