Abstract: The evolution of 5G networks demands highly efficient resource allocation strategies to accommodate burgeoning mobile data traffic, latency-sensitive applications, and diverse user requirements. Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) technology is a cornerstone of 5G, enabling simultaneous service to multiple users and significantly improving spectral efficiency. However, its performance is critically dependent on dynamic scheduling algorithms that must balance high system throughput with equitable user access amidst rapidly changing channel conditions and interference. Traditional schedulers like Round Robin, Proportional Fair, and Max-CQI often exhibit a pronounced trade-off between these objectives, struggling to adapt effectively in heterogeneous and dynamic network environments. To address this gap, this study proposes a Hybrid Channel-Aware Prioritization (HCAP) scheduler. The HCAP framework intelligently integrates real-time Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) and interference measurements into a unified user priority score, utilizing tunable α–β weights to flexibly emphasize throughput or fairness. Furthermore, it employs k-means clustering based on long-term channel statistics to group users, thereby reducing scheduling bias and promoting fairness within clusters. Evaluated through comprehensive MATLAB simulations within a realistic MU-MIMO system model employing Regularized Zero-Forcing precoding, HCAP demonstrates a superior performance balance. The results indicate that HCAP achieves up to 2.6 times higher aggregate throughput compared to conventional Proportional Fair and Max-CQI schedulers, while consistently maintaining Jain's Fairness Index above 0.90 across varied network scenarios. These findings validate HCAP as a robust, scalable, and QoS-aware scheduling solution, offering significant potential for enhancing resource allocation in next-generation wireless communication systems.

Krishna Deshpande, Virupaxi B. Dalal and Yedukondalu Udara. “Implementation of Hybrid Channel-Aware Prioritization (HCAP) Scheduler for a Multi-User MIMO System in 5G Communication”. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications (IJACSA) 16.12 (2025). http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0161287

@article{Deshpande2025,
title = {Implementation of Hybrid Channel-Aware Prioritization (HCAP) Scheduler for a Multi-User MIMO System in 5G Communication},
journal = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
doi = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0161287},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0161287},
year = {2025},
publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
volume = {16},
number = {12},
author = {Krishna Deshpande and Virupaxi B. Dalal and Yedukondalu Udara}
}