FDD-RT: A Simple CSI Acquisition Technique via Channel Reciprocity for FDD Massive MIMO Downlink

Abstract

We propose a channel state information acquisition mechanism to reduce the training overhead in frequency-division duplexing (FDD) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink (DL). While the massive MIMO has demonstrated the great potentials in many aspects, the carrier multiplexing designs in massive MIMO mostly adopt time-division duplexing (TDD) system, which stems from a stereotype that the uplink/DL channel reciprocity only holds for TDD. On the other hand, FDD massive MIMO is generally considered infeasible due to the unaffordable temporal overhead for sending training symbols at base station. Our proposed FDD with reverse training (FDD-RT) modifies the DL band training procedure in typical FDD system to reduce pilot overhead, where the DL band channel reciprocity is exploited in FDD-RT. FDD-RT contributes to providing a feasible and relatively low complexity method to implement massive MIMO in FDD system. Without FDD-RT, communication operators who currently use FDD system may be enforced to change to TDD system in the future to accommodate massive MIMO, where the cost is prohibitive. The most different property of FDD-RT from other solutions is that its training overhead does not scale with the number of antennas at base station. The detail analysis/comparison of FDD-RT will be given in this paper.