Journal Paper

Accurate positioning is crucial for the effective design and operation of millimeter Wave (mmWave) distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) systems. It enables reliable connectivity, precise beam alignment, and low-latency communication required in next-generation wireless networks. This research work presents a comprehensive survey of positioning for mmWave D-MIMO systems, examining core techniques, key challenges, and solution strategies, while providing an in-depth review and critical evaluation of existing approaches under real-world conditions such as non-line-of-sight (NLoS) environments, high mobility, and dense network deployments. This survey first highlights the importance of accurate positioning for enabling reliable, low-latency communication. Then it describes the fundamental positioning techniques, including time-based, angle-based, and fingerprinting methods, with a focus on their integration into beamforming frameworks. While traditional methods perform well in line-of-sight (LoS) scenarios, data-driven fingerprinting and hybrid learning approaches enhance robustness and accuracy under challenging NLoS environments. This survey also discusses positioning-aided beamforming (PA-BF) as a promising application that leverages real-time location information to improve signal quality. Furthermore, the survey discusses open research challenges, including the impact of positioning errors on beam alignment, the need for real-time adaptation under mobility, and scalability issues in dense network environments. Finally, it concludes by exploring diverse application domains, including smart public infrastructure, mobility systems, and healthcare systems. Thus, this survey provides a comprehensive resource for researchers and practitioners working toward the convergence of positioning in next-generation wireless networks.