Massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmission and coordinated multipoint transmission are candidate technologies for increasing data throughput in evolving 5G standards. Frequency division duplex (FDD) is likely to remain predominant in large parts of the spectrum below 6 GHz for future 5G systems. Therefore, it is important to estimate the downlink FDD channels from a very large number of antennas, while avoiding an excessive downlink reference signal overhead. We here propose and investigate a three part solution. First, massive MIMO downlinks use a fixed grid of beams. For each user, only a subset of beams will then be relevant, and require estimation. Second, sets of coded reference signal sequences, with cyclic patterns over time, are used. Third, each terminal estimates its most relevant channels. We here propose and compare a linear mean square estimation and a Kalman estimation. Both utilize frequency and antenna correlation, and the later also utilizes temporal correlation. In extensive simulations, this scheme provides channel estimates that lead to an insignificant beamforming performance degradation as compared to full channel knowledge. The cyclic pattern of coded reference signals is found to be important for reliable channel estimation, without having to adjust the reference signals to specific users.

For future large-scale multi-antenna systems, channel orthogonal downlink pilots are not feasible due to extensive overhead requirements. Instead, channel reciprocity can be utilized in time division duplex (TDD) systems so that the downlink channel estimates can be based on pilots transmitted during the uplink. User mobility affects the reciprocity and makes the channel state information outdated for high velocities and/or long downlink subframe durations. Channel extrapolation, e.g. through Kalman prediction, can reduce the problem but is also limited by high velocities and long downlink subframes. An alternative solution has been proposed where channel predictions are made with the help of an extra antenna, e.g. on the roof of a car, so called predictor antenna, with the primary objective to measure the channel at a position that is later encountered by the rearward antenna(s). The predictor antenna is not directly limited by high velocities and allows the channel in the downlinks to be interpolated rather than extrapolated. One remaining challenge here is to obtain a good interpolation of the uplink channel estimate, since a sequence of uplink reference signals (pilots) will be interrupted by downlink subframes. We here evaluate a Kalman smoothing estimate of the downlink channels and compare it to a cubic spline interpolation. These results are also compared to results where uplink channels are estimated through Kalman filters and predictors. Results are based on measured channels and show that with Kalman smoothing, predictor antennas can enable accurate channel estimates for a longer downlink period at vehicular velocities. The gaps in the uplink pilot stream, due to downlink subframes, can have durations that correspond to a vehicle movement of up to 0.75 carrier wavelengths in space, for Rayleigh-like non-line-of-sight fading.

The ongoing standardization within 3GPP for the so called new radio (NR) system has identified massive multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) transmission, also called full dimension MIMO, as one of the main contributors to higher spectral efficiency for the mobile broadband case. In particular for radio frequencies below 6 GHz, channel estimation has to be supported in frequency division duplex (FDD) as well as time division duplex (TDD) operation. In TDD we may obtain downlink channels by estimating uplink channels, assuming reciprocity. For FDD, codebook based design as well as some type of explicit feedback is under discussion. Separately, there are also ongoing discussions of the question if massive MIMO in combination with FDD is a reasonable choice at all. Here we highlight some of our recent results obtained within several 5G research projects. To our understanding they overcome some of the inherent limitations of massive MIMO for FDD. As indicated by simulations, the resulting concept enables a grid of beam (GoB) and reference signal design with a reasonable downlink reference signal overhead of around 10 percent, together with reasonable feedback overhead of several hundred kbit/s per UE. Such a design attains around 90 percent of the massive MIMO system performance with ideal channel state information.

Coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission is considered as an efficient technique to improve cell-edge performance as well as system spectrum efficiency. In CoMP-enabled systems, a cluster of coordinated base stations (BSs) are typically assumed to be connected to a control unit (CU) via backhaul links, and the provided performance gain relies heavily on the quality of the channel state information (CSI) available at the CU side. In this paper, we consider the downlink of a CoMP cluster and compare three different CoMP transmission schemes: zero-forcing coherent joint transmission, non-coherent joint transmission and coordinated scheduling. Moreover, for each of the analyzed schemes, the performance in terms of average sum rate of the CoMP cluster is studied with predicted CSI, considering the effects of the feedback and backhaul latency, as well as the user mobility. Compared to zero-forcing coherent joint transmission, we show that non-coherent joint transmission and coordinated scheduling are more robust to channel uncertainty. In addition, depending on the latency, user mobility and user locations, different schemes would achieve the highest average sum rate performance. Hence, a system could switch between the transmission schemes to improve the sum rate.