An Overview of MIMO-Oriented Channel Access in Wireless Networks

The integration of MIMO technology in WLANs has recently been the focus of extensive research. The main objectives of this technology are to improve channel reuse and/or reduce energy consumption. In this paper, the authors give an overview of MIMO systems and their use in WLANs. They highlight the different types of gains that MIMO offers and then discuss some of the work that has been done on MAC design. They conclude by outlining several open issues that must be addressed for MIMO-based systems.