Solar energy paper index
Rethinking Energy Efficiency in Cell-Free Massive MIMO: The Role of Processing and Optical Fronthaul
One-line summary
A solar energy research paper on Rethinking Energy Efficiency in Cell-Free Massive MIMO: The Role of Processing and Optical Fronthaul.
Engineering notes
Engineering notes will be added by the Power for Solar editorial team.
Chinese explanation / 中文解读
中文解读待补充:本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。
Original abstract
Cell-free massive MIMO promises uniformly high performance by combining densely distributed radio units, coherent transmission, and centralized processing. Unlike earlier radio generations, it depends on dense fronthaul connectivity and a virtualized cloud-RAN architecture. In this setting, energy use is no longer driven primarily by active radio components; instead, fronthaul and processing play a dominant role, calling for a fresh perspective on what defines energy efficiency. This work introduces a modular power model that captures the interplay between radios, fronthaul, and cloud processing. The analysis highlights how design choices, such as functional splits and precoding strategies, shape both fronthaul data load and total power consumption. Centralized precoding provides stronger performance with less resource utilization, while flexible activation of radios and processing elements avoids unnecessary overhead. Overall, the energy efficiency of cell-free massive MIMO grows as antennas are more densely distributed across the coverage area, particularly when combined with end-to-end resource allocation.
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