Cooperative Network Paradigm for Device-Centric Nodes

Cooperative communications enable efficient utilization of communication resources by allowing nodes or terminals in a communication network to collaborate with each other in information transmission. It is a promising technique for future communication systems. Cooperative communication has made its way into 3GPP LTE-A specifications, primarily used for relay and multicell coordination. Future network generations will encompass wireless sensor devices at a very large scale with the advent of newer applications, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and the metaverse. In this chapter, we visit various cooperative communication schemes such as relay, distributed antennas, and multicell coordination. Subsequently, we extend the concept to other layers of the network where devices cooperate or coordinate with each other to extend and expand the capacity of the network. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Dr. Abraham George and G. Ramana Murthy; individual chapters, the contributors.