Spatial Consistency Validation on Massive SIMO Covariance Matrices in the Geometry-Based Stochastic Channel Model QuaDRiGa

In the fifth generation (5G) of cellular networks, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) has surged as a key technique. The time-invariant feature of the channels in a massive MIMO system is modelled using second-order-statistics known as covariance matrices. The spatial consistency of these covariance matrices, e.g. close to each other positioned mobile users receive similar multi-path components, is essential for the multiple-user performance evaluation. Therefore, spatial consistency is a must-have for 5G channel models. In this work, we provide a thorough validation of the spatial consistency feature in the open source geometry-based stochastic channel model software QuaDRiGa by comparing it with measurements. We validate the spatial consistency in terms of spatial correlation of massive single-input multiple-output (SIMO) covariance matrices in four different settings of base station (BS)-user locations.