MU-MIMO: serving multiple users simultaneously

Spatial Multiplexing Across Users

Multi-User MIMO serves multiple UEs on the exact same time-frequency resources by separating them spatially with distinct beams. While Single-User MIMO sends multiple data layers to one device, MU-MIMO distributes those layers across several devices simultaneously, effectively multiplying cell capacity without requiring additional spectrum. NR supports up to twelve MU-MIMO layers using DMRS Type 2 configuration. The key requirement is that the UEs must be physically separable in the angular domain so the gNB can form sufficiently distinct beams to avoid inter-user interference.