6G • RAN
Extremely Large Aperture Array (ELAA)
Continuous and Discrete Giant Antenna Aperture for 6G Base Stations
Antenna array scaling from 64 elements (5G) to thousands or tens of thousands of radiating elements integrated into building facades.
Technical Explanation
To compensate for severe free-space path loss at sub-THz frequencies and unlock spatial multiplexing for hundreds of concurrent users, 6G base stations employ Extremely Large Aperture Arrays (ELAA). Scaling from 1,024 to over 10,000 antenna elements integrated into building walls or large billboard panels, ELAA provides razor-sharp pencil beams, expansive near-field zones, and unprecedented spatial resolution for both communication and cellular radar imaging.
Key Functions
- Integrates thousands of active antenna elements into building facades and towers
- Provides razor-sharp spatial beam focusing with ultra-narrow angular resolution
- Enables simultaneous spatial multiplexing for hundreds of concurrent mobile terminals
- Expands the radiative near-field zone to tens or hundreds of meters
Specifications
ITU-R M.2160 High Spectral Efficiency, 3GPP Rel-19 ELAA Study
Interfaces
Digital Front-Haul (eCPRI 2.0 Evolution)Massive Antenna Matrix
Related 6G Concepts
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