Photonics-Enabled 6G Distributed MIMO: Experimental Study in an Indoor Environment

The sixth generation (6G) of mobile networks will enable novel services and applications but new challenges are expected to arise as well. As a result, novel implementation techniques need to be developed. Among these, distributed multiple-input multiple-output (D-MIMO) is a promising wireless technology that can provide higher coverage and spectral efficiency, both of which are essential to fulfill some of the new 6G requirements. To demonstrate the feasibility of DMIMO technology, we experimentally validate coherent joint transmission (CJT) in a D-MIMO network that uses analog radio-over-fiber (ARoF) fronthaul links and centralized processing, achieving signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gains of up to 10.54 dB.