Survey on Beamforming Techniques for 5G Antennas

Abstract

Beamforming antennas have become essential for the growth of high-capacity and energy-efficient wireless communication systems, specifically in 5G and future 6G networks. In 5G, hybrid and digital beamforming facilitate the efficient use of millimeter-wave (mmWave) and sub-6 GHz spectrum, in contrast to 6G, advanced concepts such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), terahertz (THz) communications, and near-field beamforming are expected to drive unparalleled performance.The present research provides an in-depth review of beamforming techniques employed in both 5G and 6G communication systems. Comparitive analysis are included to show the variations in design, frequency use, performance trade-offs, and developing use cases. The review outlines challenges such as hardware complexity, energy efficiency, and scalability, offering insights into future research areas for achievable beamforming deployment in beyond-5G and 6G systems.