All Technologies Work Together for Good: A Glance at Future Mobile Networks

The astounding capacity requirements of 5G have motivated researchers to investigate the feasibility of many potential technologies, such as massive multiple-input multiple-output, millimeter- wave, full-duplex, non-orthogonal multiple access, carrier aggregation, cognitive radio, and network ultra-densification. The benefits and challenges of these technologies have been thoroughly studied either individually or in combinations of two or three. It is not clear, however, whether all potential technologies operating together lead to fulfilling the requirements posed by 5G. This article explores the potential benefits and challenges when all technologies coexist in an ultra-dense cellular environment. The sum rate of the network is investigated with respect to the increase in the number of small cells, and results show the capacity gains achieved by the coexistence.