Beamforming controls the directionality of the transmission or reception of a signal on an antenna array. Beamforming improves the spectral efficiency by providing a better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Working with other antenna technologies such as smart antennas and MIMO, beamforming boosts cell range and capacity. That means mobile device users get stronger, clearer signals.
Millimeter wave (mm-Wave) bands offer a large bandwidth opportunity for mobile communications, which can support not only higher data rates but also ultra-low latencies. As mm-Wave transmissions suffer from significantly higher path loss and are more susceptibility to blockage than lower frequency transmissions, mm-Wave bands have not been utilized for mobile communications until 5G new radio. Beamforming is one of the key techniques used by 5G new radio to overcome these obstacles.