Resource Scheduling in MU-MIMO and NOMA Enabled Integrated Access and Backhaul Networks

The integrated access and backhaul (IAB) architecture utilizes wireless backhaul to facilitate the expansion of fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) networks. In an IAB network, intermediate base stations (or say IAB nodes) can be connected in a multi-hop fashion. However, optimizing resource scheduling in such a network remains a critical challenge. In this work, we present a novel method that integrates multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technologies into IAB networks. The designed two-phase algorithm has the following features: 1) support for multi-path routing and efficient resource utilization through the combined use of MU-MIMO and NOMA, 2) a novel route decision phase that selects optimal paths by considering load balancing among IAB nodes, and 3) a dynamic link scheduling phase that allocates transmission power and schedules links to maximize network capacity. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed solution achieves significant improvements in throughput, fairness, and latency compared to existing methods.