Advanced physical-layer technologies for beyond 5g wireless communication networks

Fifth-generation (5G) networks will not satisfy the requirements of the latency, bandwidth, and traffic density in 2030 and beyond, and next-generation wireless communication networks with revolutionary enabling technologies will be required. Beyond 5G (B5G)/sixth-generation (6G) networks will achieve superior performance by providing advanced functions such as ultralow latency, ultrahigh reliability, global coverage, massive connectivity, and better intelligence and security levels. Important aspects of B5G/6G networks require the modification and exploitation of promising physical-layer technologies. This Special Issue (SI) presents research efforts to identify and discuss the novel techniques, technical challenges, and promising solution methods of physical-layer technologies with a vision of potential involvement in the B5G/6G era. In particular, this SI presents innovations and concepts, including nonorthogonal multiple access, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), energy harvesting, hybrid satellite terrestrial relays, Internet of Things-based home automation, millimeter-wave bands, device-to-device communication, and artificial-intelligence or machine-learning techniques. Further, this SI covers the proposed solutions, including MIMO antenna design, modulation detection, interference management, hybrid precoding, and statistical beamforming along with their performance improvements in terms of performance metrics, including bit error rate, outage probability, ergodic sum rate, spectrum efficiency, and energy efficiency.