5G • 5G-Advanced (Rel-18)
Spatial-Domain Antenna Muting
Adaptive Massive MIMO Element and RF Chain Muting
Shuts off subsets of RF chains (e.g. dropping from 64-TRX to 32-TRX or 16-TRX) during low-traffic periods to conserve massive amounts of electricity.
Technical Explanation
Massive MIMO active antenna units (AAUs) contain 64 independent transmitter/receiver chains that burn power continuously. When traffic drops at night, high spatial multiplexing is unnecessary. Rel-18 Spatial Muting enables base stations to power down half or three-quarters of their RF chains dynamically, operating as a 16-TRX or 32-TRX array until traffic picks up.
Key Functions
- Powers off unused RF transceiver chains in Massive MIMO active antenna units
- Adapts array configuration dynamically between 64-TRX, 32-TRX, and 16-TRX modes
- Maintains full basic geographic coverage while shedding excess spatial capacity
- Reduces Massive MIMO active antenna power draw by over 50% during off-peak hours
Specifications
3GPP TR 38.864, TS 38.300 (Rel-18)
Interfaces
gNodeB AAU Control Architecture
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