On the deployment problem in cell-free networks

Abstract

Cell-free (CF) structures are expected to be a game changer for beyond-5G wireless networks. With every user potentially communicating with every base station, cooperation at a central processing point is poised to provide much higher spectral efficiencies. At the same time, the growing interest in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) makes CF-UAV networks an appealing scenario. This paper investigates the uplink of a CF network where UAVs serve as flying base stations. The optimization of the UAV locations is shown to markedly increase the minimum local-average signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, which in turn increases the spectral efficiency. The improvements are associated to pilot contamination and to geometry.