In this paper, we investigate the downlink performance of dense cellular networks with elevated base stations (BSs) using a channel model that incorporates line-of-sight (LOS)/non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation in both small-scale and large-scale fading. Modeling LOS fading with Nakagami-m fading, we provide a unified framework based on stochastic geometry that encompasses both closest and strongest BS association. Our study is particularized to two distance-dependent LOS/NLOS models of practical interest. Considering the effect of LOS propagation alone, we derive closed-form expressions for the coverage probability with Nakagami-m fading, showing that the performance for strongest BS association is the same as in the case of Rayleigh fading, whereas for closest BS association it monotonically increases with the shape parameter m. Then, focusing on the effect of elevated BSs, we show that network densification eventually leads to near-universal outage even for moderately low BS densities: in particular, the maximum area spectral efficiency is proportional to the inverse of the squared BS height. Index TermsCoverage probability, elevated base stations, Nakagami-m fading, performance analysis, stochastic geometry, ultra-dense networks, 5G.

Most prior work on performance analysis of ultradense cellular networks (UDNs) has considered standard powerlaw path loss models and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) propagation modeled by Rayleigh fading. The effect of line-of-sight (LOS) on coverage and throughput and its implication on network densification are still not fully understood. In this paper, we investigate the performance of UDNs when the signal propagation includes both LOS and NLOS components. Using a stochastic geometry based cellular network model, we derive expressions for the coverage probability, as well as tight approximations and upper bounds for both closest and strongest base station (BS) association. Our results show that under standard singular path loss model, LOS propagation increases the coverage, especially with nearest BS association. On the contrary, using dual slope path loss, LOS propagation is beneficial with closest BS association and detrimental for strongest BS association.

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Abstract-Pilot contamination is known to be one of the main impairments for massive MIMO multi-cell communications. Inspired by the concept of fractional frequency reuse and by recent contributions on pilot reutilization among non-adjacent cells, we propose a new pilot allocation scheme to mitigate this effect. The key idea is to allow users in neighboring cells that are closest to their base stations to reuse the same pilot sequences. Focusing on the uplink, we obtain expressions for the overall spectral efficiency per cell for different linear combining techniques at the base station and use them to obtain both the optimal pilot reuse parameters and the optimal number of scheduled users. Numerical results show a remarkable improvement in terms of spectral efficiency with respect to the existing techniques.

As the demand for higher throughput satellites increases, multibeam architectures with smaller beam spots are becoming common place. If the same frequency is strongly reused, the resulting interference when serving simultaneously many users requires some sort of pre or post-cancelation process. This article focuses on precoding and multiuser detection schemes for multibeam satellites, comparing hybrid on-board on-ground beamforming techniques with fully ground-based beamforming. Both techniques rely on the exchange of radiating element signals between the satellite and the corresponding gateway but, in the latter case, the interference mitigation process acts on all the radiating signals instead of the user beams directly, with the corresponding extra degrees of freedom for those cases for which the number of radiating elements is higher than the number of user beams. The analysis carried out in this study has shown that the potential advantage of ground-based beamforming may exceed 20% of the total throughput.