Type-Based Unsourced Multiple Access over Fading Channels with Cell-Free Massive MIMO

Type-based unsourced multiple access (TUMA) is a recently proposed framework for type-based estimation in massive uncoordinated access networks. We extend the existing design of TUMA, developed for an additive white Gaussian channel, to a more realistic environment with fading and multiple antennas. Specifically, we consider a cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output system and exploit spatial diversity to estimate the set of transmitted messages and the number of users transmitting each message. Our solution relies on a location-based codeword partition and on the use at the receiver of a multisource approximate message passing algorithm in both centralized and distributed implementations. The proposed TUMA framework results in a robust and scalable architecture for massive machine-type communications.