SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 2609.12140

Joint Random Access and Localization in Cell-Free User-Centric Networks with Frequency-Selective Fading Channels

Abstract

We study random access (RACH) schemes for cell-free (CF) user-centric networks to handle many geographically distributed users with sporadic traffic and intermittent activity. The RACH must allow the system to: 1) detect preambles sent by the (yet unknown) random access users in the RACH slot; 2) localize them for fast allocation of user-centric radio-unit (RU) clusters. Most prior work uses simplified models, neglecting frame-synchronous but chip-asynchronous transmission, possible line-of-sight (LoS) propagation for certain user-RU pairs, and multipath non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation yielding frequency-selective channels. Building on our previous work, we consider location-dependent partitioned random access codebooks where users in a geographic area (location) use the corresponding subset of random access preambles. We present a unified framework for joint detection and localization over a spatially consistent network-wide channel model, incorporating these neglected aspects. We evaluate two schemes: 1) a ``legacy'' scheme using Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequences, extending the 3GPP 2-step RACH to the CF case; 2) our multisource approximate message passing (AMP) approach extended to multipath frequency-selective fading. For both schemes, we develop novel approximated GLRT preamble detection and Maximum-Likelihood position estimators with super-resolution refinement, implicitly exploiting received signal strength, angle of arrival, and time-difference of arrival information embedded into LoS components. Numerical results show that the AMP-based scheme achieves superior preamble detection, while both schemes have similar and excellent localization capability.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Simon Tarboush, Eleni Gkiouzepi, Giuseppe Caire. 2026-09-10. Joint Random Access and Localization in Cell-Free User-Centric Networks with Frequency-Selective Fading Channels. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.12140

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Fundamental Scaling Laws of Covert Communication in the Presence of Block Fading

Covert communication is the undetected transmission of sensitive information over a communication channel. In wireless communication systems, channel impairments such as signal fading present challenges in the effective implementation and analysis of covert communication systems. This paper generalizes early work in the covert communication field by considering asymptotic results for the number of bits that can be covertly transmitted in $n$ channel uses on a block fading channel. Critical to the investigation is characterizing the performance of optimal detectors at the adversary. Matching achievable and converse results are presented.

cs.IT

Sequence Reconstruction over the Deletion Channel

In this paper, we consider the Levenshtein's sequence reconstruction problem in the case where the transmitted codeword is chosen from $\{0,1\}^n$ and the channel can delete up to $t$ symbols from the transmitted codeword. We determine the minimum number of channel outputs (assuming that they are distinct) required to reconstruct a list of size $\ell-1$ of candidate sequences, one of which corresponds to the original transmitted sequence. More specifically, we determine the maximum possible size of the intersection of $\ell \geq 3$ deletion balls of radius $t$ centered at $x_1, x_2, \dots, x_{\ell}$, where $x_i \in \{0,1\}^n$ for all $i \in \{1,2,\dots,\ell\}$ and $x_i \neq x_j$ for $i \neq j$, with $ n \geq t+\ell-1$ and $t \geq 1$.

cs.IT

A generalization of the map $χ$

The mapping $ χ_n:\mathbb{F}_2^n \to \mathbb{F}_2^n$ defined by $y=χ_n(x)$ with $y_i = x_i + x_{i+1}x_{i+2} + x_{i+2}$, where the indices are computed modulo $n$, has been widely studied for its application in lightweight cryptography. In this paper, we generalize this mapping and completely characterize all these shift-invariant permutations of the form $y_i=x_{i+u}+x_{i+v}(x_{i+w}+a_i)$, where $0\le u, v, w<n$ and $a_i\in \mathbb{F}_2$, $1\le i\le n$.

cs.IT