What is MU MIMO Technology and Why Do You Need It?

MU-MIMO stands for multi-user, multiple input, and multiple outputs. It is a wireless technology that uses multiple antennas for communication. It was first introduced in 2015 as part of the Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) standard, with the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) protocol adding MU-MIMO support for uplink. Whenever a single access point needs to communicate with multiple clients, MU-MIMO is used there. We have introduced what is MIMO before and now let’s learn about what is MU-MIMO.

What is MIMO

We have introduced what is MIMO technology in detail before, most routers can only communicate with a single device at a time. Therefore, when more devices need to connect to a single router, the slower moves because each device has to wait for its turn to send and receive data from the Internet. Similarly, when another new device connects it becomes a little longer. Therefore, MU-MIMO plays an important role by reducing wait time and improving overall performance.

Benefits of MU MIMO

The main benefits of MU-MIMO are mentioned below:

• It allows Wi-Fi router to communicate with multiple devices simultaneously
• It uses beamforming to direct signals toward a wireless device.
• MU-MIMO speeds up your network by drastically reducing each device’s wait time for signals.
• Mu Mimo support all types of the channel Width.
• The access point can manage bandwidth-intensive activities like streaming and gaming by using the Mu Mimo Technology.
• MU MIMO Based Network easily supports the game and video streaming.

Future of MU-MIMO Networking

Though MU-MIMO is a high-speed, high-capacity game changer for 4G and 5G. This quicker networking method has already made a significant stride toward becoming the norm. As new technology comes into the wireless field, it increases the capacity of the bandwidth as it uses multiple antennas in order to transmit and receive the data, also providing a better user experience. Mu MIMO not only provides a higher bandwidth but also provides a quality of service to the linked network.  By using MU-MIMO networking technology operators can provide universal wireless broadband service. So It’s expected that it comes with the same specification in next-generation wireless cellular networks.

• Nowadays most of the local operators work with the online internet service provider and implement the model that uses the backward charging that’s why most of the wireless packages are more popular. Most of the Internet companies collaborating with their local operator in order to offer the unlimited monthly packages.
• The new wireless technology Mu MIMO supports all types of the applications that are used in home, offices, and as well as in the industry circuit. Mu MIMO technology also supports the artificial intelligence technologies that are mostly used in the industrial sector. It also supports online video streaming.
• Massive MIMO is expected to completely transform the ICT sector, providing advantages to both the residential and commercial sectors.
• Instantaneous, potent wireless communication is essential for machine-to-machine communication, virtual reality applications, smart cities, and autonomous vehicles.
• Massive MIMO helps with 5G mm Wave technology rollouts. Massive antenna arrays increase the signal’s strength, reducing the amount of attenuation that a signal experiences at frequencies exceeding 27 GHz.
• Communications firms can deploy fewer stations if this signal strength loss is reduced. Depending on how effective the antenna array is, massive MIMO, for instance, can reduce installations by doing away with the requirement for a radio and antenna at every light pole.
• Only a person with a 5G device receives the signal due to its spatial streaming and beamforming nature. It directly focus on the 5G users .
• As massive MIMO relies on beamforming, it minimizes stray radiation in the environment. The signal is focused in a particular direction using beamforming. As a result, large MIMO lessens the amount of radiated energy that is lost to the environment.
• Massive MIMO arrays improve connectivity while requiring less power consumption than other technologies

Types of MU-MIMO  

There are different types of Mu MIMO available in the market. Different types of Mu-MIMO are given below:

• MIMO-MAC – MAC MIMO is mostly used in the uplink-based topology where multiple access channels are required in the up links. The receiving side of the MAC MIMO performs most of the processing.
• MIMO-BC – MIMO BC is mostly used in MIMO broadcast channels, and also provides more throughputs.
• Cross-layer MIMO – MIMO links perform better when using cross-layer MIMO. In order to accomplish this, MIMO configuration-related issues must be resolved.
• Dirty Paper Coding – Dirty Paper Coding is mostly used in the telecommunication sector. By using Dirty Paper Coding the transmission of data through a channel is more efficient.
• Cooperative MIMO (CO-MIMO) – This uses distributed antennas belonging to other users instead of ones only belonging to a logical terminal.

MU-MIMO access points can be available in 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 variations. These variations refer to the number of streams (two, three, or four) that they can create for each device. This technology was developed to help in situations when several people are simultaneously attempting to access the wireless network, without interruption of the connectivity.

How MU-MIMO works with wireless devices

MU-MIMO technology works where multiple users are trying to access the wireless network at the same time to transmit data. In a MIMO-based network, both the access point and client device have multiple radio antennas and each antenna on both sides creates a separate channel through which the data is transmitted.

When multiple users begin accessing the router at the same time, congestion can be introduced as the router services the first user’s request, 2nd user, 3^rd user, and so on. Even though these delays may seem insignificant, they can build up with more devices. MU-MIMO helps this by allowing multiple users to access router functions without congestion.

The beamforming technology is the new wireless technology which works with the MIMO antennas. By using the beamforming technology the range of the MIMO antennas is increased because it sends the same packets on the different antennas with timing offset.

 MU-MIMO helps increase Wi-Fi ranges and speeds as the signal is more efficiently used.

Beam forming technology allows antennas to send radio signals from one location to multiple specific endpoints. Point to Multipoint provides better, faster, stronger wireless communication.

Conclusion:

Mu MIMO is a new technology in the field of wireless. As the Mu MIMO uses multiple antennas in order to transmit the data so it provides high-speed internet. As it uses multiple antennas so it covers a larger area and also increases the capacity of the internet. Nowaday 5G technologies also uses massive Multi-user, Multi-output technology in order to travel the data. Multiple radios and different feature options are available in MU-MIMO that comes with different characteristics to meet all types of requirements on various types of sites in the network in a cost-efficient way.