From Legacy to Leadership: Intelligent Radio Network Planning Framework for Cell-Free Massive MIMO in B5G/6G Era

The proliferation of cell-free Massive MIMO represents a transformative shift in wireless network architecture, addressing critical limitations of conventional distributed Massive MIMO systems. This paper presents an intelligent radio network planning framework that bridges legacy 5G infrastructures with future B5G/6G networks through cell-free architectures. By leveraging operational insights from existing 5G deployments, we systematically address coverage optimization, and capacity enhancement. Our scalable framework enables seamless evolution from legacy designs to next-generation cell-free systems. Through extensive simulations in dense urban environments, we demonstrate substantial improvements: 45% spectral efficiency gains, 30% interference reduction, and significantly enhanced uniform coverage. The proposed framework provides network operators with a practical roadmap for transitioning from traditional cellular architectures to demanding B5G/6G requirements while maximizing existing infrastructure investments.