Asymptotic Scaling Law Analysis of Multicast Satellite Communications with Massive MIMO

Abstract: In this paper, we consider a geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite communication system that employs massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) for multicast transmission. By modeling the spatial distribution of ground users using a Poisson point process (PPP) and assuming a fixed-beam precoding is adopted, we find a closed-form expression for the asymptotical rate scaling law as a function of the number of antennas and the scaling factors of user density and multicast users. From the derived analytical expression, we reveal that the rate degradation caused by multicast transmission can be precisely compensated by increasing the user density accordingly.