• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.2371-2388
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• 2015

In this paper, we investigate the performance evaluation of three dimensional (3D) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with an adjustable base station (BS) antenna tilt angle and zero-forcing (ZF) receivers in Ricean/Lognormal fading channels. In particular, we take the lognormal shadow fading, 3D antenna gain with antenna tilt angle and path-loss into account. First, we derive a closed-form lower bound on the sum rate, then we obtain the optimal BS antenna tilt angle based on the derived lower bound, and finally we present linear approximations for the sum rate in high and low-SNR regimes, respectively. Based on our analytical results, we gain valuable insights into the impact of key system parameters, such as the BS antenna tilt angle, the Ricean K-factor and the radius of cell, on the sum rate performance of 3D MIMO with ZF receivers.