A Framework for Reliable Cell-Free mmWave Massive MIMO Networks Under Human Blockage

This paper investigates the outage performance of outdoor cell-free millimeter-wave massive MIMO (CF-mMIMO) networks under realistic human-induced blockage conditions. In particular, self-blockage, static human blockage, and dynamic blockage caused by moving users are jointly modeled using stochastic geometry. Access points (APs), users, and human blockers are assumed to follow independent Poisson point processes, which enables a tractable yet accurate analytical framework. Tractable integral-form expressions are derived for the line-of-sight (LoS) coverage probability, along with a closed-form expression for the overall outage probability, capturing both physical-layer and blockage effects. Based on the derived outage expression, the minimum AP density required to satisfy a target outage probability under given blockage conditions can be determined numerically. Numerical results demonstrate how static and dynamic human blockers significantly increase outage probability, while the inherent macro-diversity of the cell-free architecture effectively mitigates these effects. The impact of key deployment parameters on the system performance, including AP density and AP height, is also evaluated, providing practical insights for reliable outdoor CF-mMIMO network planning.