Why 6G RAN Nodes Are Called aNB – From 1G Base Stations to Future Networks

After the Chinese New Year holidays, the 3GPP RAN3 #131 meeting in Gothenburg officially designated the 6G wireless access network (RAN) node name as aNB . The meeting minutes recorded the statement “6G RAN node is aNB”.

Historical Evolution of Base‑Station Names

From 1G to 5G, the naming of base stations has changed several times:

1G : Base Station (BS) – a straightforward “base station”.

2G : Base Transceiver Station (BTS) – emphasizing transceiver functionality, paired with a Base Station Controller (BSC).

3G : NodeB (NB) – simplified to “node”, reflecting a more generic and flexible concept.

4G : eNodeB (eNB) – the “e” stands for Evolved, aligning with LTE (Long‑Term Evolution).

5G : gNB – “next generation NodeB”, indicating the next‑generation base station.

Meaning Behind the New aNB Name

The “a” in aNB is interpreted as both Advanced (enhanced performance) and AI (artificial intelligence). Some sources also suggest it can mean Access . This dual meaning signals that 6G base stations will combine cutting‑edge technology with native intelligence, turning the node into a “perception‑decision‑execution” unit for tasks such as resource scheduling, channel modeling, network optimization, and operations.

aNB Naming Structure

The aNB name follows a four‑segment format: main‑name‑technology‑scenario‑custom‑code, separated by hyphens. The main name ends with “‑ANB”. Typical main‑name categories include:

AAU‑ANB (ground mainstream)

S‑AAU‑ANB (satellite)

I‑AAU‑ANB (integrated sensing‑communication, unique to 6G)

Technical parameters are expressed as “frequency‑channel‑rate” (e.g., 7G‑256T256R). Scenario identifiers use official letters, and the custom code combines the vendor abbreviation with a batch number.

Example: AAU-ANB-7G-256T256R-U-ZTE-01 denotes a ZTE first‑batch ground‑based active antenna aNB operating at 7 GHz with 256 transmit and 256 receive channels.

Technical Outlook for 6G aNB

Prefer a single‑stand‑alone (SSA) architecture, avoiding the complex SA/NSA split of 5G.

Adopt carrier aggregation (CA) for multi‑connection, eliminating the signaling overhead of Dual Connectivity (DC).

Introduce Stateless Lower Layer Split (LLS) to reduce standby power and PHY processing load.

Support FR3 frequencies (7‑24 GHz) with antenna arrays potentially exceeding 4 000 elements, producing narrow “pencil beams” of 3‑4° for precise spatial resolution and energy delivery.

These innovations mark a major milestone in the standardization of 6G, solidifying terminology and laying groundwork for future protocol specifications.

Future Expectations

Beyond naming, 3GPP experts anticipate that 6G aNB will embed AI for autonomous decision‑making, employ ultra‑dense antenna systems, and follow a streamlined network architecture, promising higher performance, lower energy consumption, and new capabilities as the technology moves from concept to reality.

As 6G progresses toward 2026, further standards and industry developments are expected, heralding a new era of wireless communication.