What is the Benefit of Code-domain NOMA in Massive MIMO?

Abstract: In overloaded Massive MIMO systems, wherein the number K of user equipments (UEs) exceeds the number of base station antennas M, it has recently been shown that non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) can increase performance. This paper aims at identifying cases of the classical operating regime K < M, where code-domain NOMA can also improve the spectral efficiency of Massive MIMO. Particular attention is given to use cases in which poor favorable propagation conditions are experienced. Numerical results show that Massive MIMO with planar antenna arrays can benefit from NOMA in practical scenarios where the UEs are spatially close to each other.