Multi-Antenna Channel-Hardening and its Implications for Rate Feedback and Scheduling

Wireless data traffic is expected to grow over the next few years and the technologies that will provide data services are still being debated. One possibility is to use multiple antennas at basestations and terminals to get very high spectral efficiencies in rich scattering environments. Such multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels can then be used in conjunction with scheduling and rate-feedback algorithms to further increase channel throughput. This paper provides an analysis of the expected gains due to scheduling and bits needed for rate feedback.