Broadband Connectivity for Handheld Devices via LEO Satellites: Is Distributed Massive MIMO the Answer?

Significant efforts are being made to integrate satellite and terrestrial networks into a unified wireless network. One major aspect of such an integration is the use of unified user terminals (UTs), which work for both networks and can switch seamlessly between them. However, supporting broadband connectivity for handheld UTs directly from low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks is very challenging due to link budget reasons. This paper proposes using distributed massive multiple-input multiple-output (DM-MIMO) techniques to improve the data rates of handheld devices with a view to supporting their broadband connectivity by exploiting the ultra-dense deployment of LEO satellites and high-speed inter-satellite links. In this regard, we discuss DM-MIMO-based satellite networks from different perspectives, including the channel model, network management, and architecture. In addition, we evaluate the performance of such networks theoretically by deriving closed-form expressions for spectral efficiency and using extensive simulations based on actual data from a Starlink constellation. The performance is compared with that of collocated massive MIMO connectivity (CMMC) and single-satellite connectivity (SSC) scenarios. The simulation results validate the analytical results and show the superior performance of DM-MIMO-based techniques compared to CMMC and SSC modes for improving the data rates of individual users.