Abstract

Open architectures in mobile networks have driven the development of smart antenna systems. Adaptive beamforming is a crucial technique in smart antenna systems, enhancing system performance. This paper examines the potential benefits of employing adaptive beamforming to enhance system performance in fifth-generation (5G) Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN), particularly in sub-6 GHz environments. To achieve this goal, different beamforming strategies are evaluated considering the incident signals from both the user and the interferer. MATLAB's Phased Array System Toolbox is used to simulate the adaptive behavior of the smart antenna array, whereas the Antenna Toolbox is employed for the antenna design. Key metrics analyzed include radiation characteristics, normalized power pattern, directivity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), spectral efficiency, gain relative to the no beamforming (No BF) approach, and interferer null depth. Simulation results demonstrate that adaptive beamforming can significantly improve the performance metrics compared to the static configuration, fostering the development of smart antenna solutions for O-RAN environments. © 2025 IEEE.