Felip Riera Palou
University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
Title: Cell-Free Massive MIMO for 6G Networks: Principles, Applications, and Synergies

Abstract:
Cell-free massive MIMO (CF-mMIMO) is widely regarded as a key enabling technology for the forthcoming 6G ecosystem. This lecture begins by introducing the fundamental principles of CF mMIMO, with particular emphasis on its spectral- and energy-efficiency advantages. It then examines how existing 5G cellular infrastructures can evolve into a user-centric, decentralized CF-mMIMO architecture. The performance of CF-mMIMO is subsequently assessed across a range of application scenarios, including enhanced broadband services, ultra-reliable communications, and massive machine-type access. The lecture further explores synergies between the cell-free paradigm and other cornerstone 6G technologies. In particular, it discusses integration with non-terrestrial network (NTN) segments involving LEO satellites and/or UAVs, the exploitation of the emerging.

Short Bio:
Felip Riera Palou was born in 1973 in Palma, Balearic Islands. He graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) in 1997, then obtained a Master's in Communications Engineering (1998) and a PhD in Communications (2002) from the University of Bradford (UK). He later earned a Master's in Statistics (2006, University of Sheffield, UK), a Postgraduate Certificate in Optimization (2009, UNED), and a Master's in Data Science and Engineering (2025, UNED). From 2002 to 2005, he worked at Philips Research Laboratories as a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher and later a senior staff member. In 2005, he joined UIB's Mobile Communications Group as a Ramón y Cajal researcher, serving as a Contracted Doctor Professor there until 2024. Since March 2024, he has been a tenured Associate Professor at UIB's Dept. of Mathematics and Informatics, affiliated with SECOM and IBIA. His research focuses on adaptability, energy efficiency and resource management in 6G networks, with an emphasis on heterogeneous cell-free networks. He has published ~150 international papers, co-invented 8 patents, and teaches probability, wireless networks and data compression. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE.