Realistic UE Antennas for 6G in the 3GPP Channel Model
Abstract
The transition to 6G has driven significant updates to the 3GPP channel model, particularly in modeling UE antennas and user-induced blockage for handheld devices. The 3GPP Rel.19 revision of TR 38.901 introduces a more realistic framework that captures directive antenna patterns, practical antenna placements, polarization effects, and element-specific blockage. These updates are based on high-fidelity simulations and measurements of a reference smartphone across multiple frequency ranges. By aligning link- and system-level simulations with real-world device behavior, the new model enables more accurate evaluation of 6G technologies and supports consistent performance assessment across industry and research.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Green IT and Sustainability
Advanced MIMO Systems Optimization
Millimeter-Wave Propagation and Modeling
Publication details
- Journal / source
- IEEE Communications Standards Magazine
- Publisher
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 109–115
- Publication date
- 10 February 2026