Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

AI-Assisted Adaptive Beamforming Antennas for Dynamic Spectrum Access

Received: 7 January 2026     Accepted: 17 January 2026     Published: 30 January 2026
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Abstract

The rapid growth in wireless communications and the increasing scarcity of spectrum necessitate intelligent and adaptive technologies for efficient utilization of available resources. Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) offers a promising solution to these challenges. However, achieving real-time spectrum agility and interference mitigation remains a technical hurdle. This paper presents a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted adaptive beamforming scheme based on reinforcement learning (RL) to dynamically steer antenna beams toward legitimate users while suppressing interference. An 8-element Uniform Linear Array (ULA) operating at 2.4 GHz is modeled in MATLAB, and a Q-learning algorithm is employed to learn optimal beamforming weights through spectrum feedback. Simulation results demonstrate that the RL-based approach achieves a 4.9 dB improvement in Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) and 38% faster convergence compared to classical Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithms. Unlike conventional adaptive beamforming methods, the proposed scheme does not require prior knowledge of the interference environment or channel statistics, enabling autonomous adaptation in highly dynamic spectrum conditions. Moreover, the system exhibits robustness to user mobility and Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) variations, making it suitable for cognitive base stations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) communications, and Spectrum-sharing Internet of Things (IoT) environments. These results indicate that reinforcement learning–driven beam control can serve as a practical enabler for real-time spectrum intelligence in next-generation wireless systems. This work underscores the potential of intelligent beamforming for next-generation wireless systems and sets the stage for future enhancements using deep RL and hybrid beamforming architectures.

Published in American Journal of Networks and Communications (Volume 15, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11
Page(s) 1-9
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cognitive Radio Networks, Adaptive Beamforming, Reinforcement Learning, Dynamic Spectrum Access, Q-learning Algorithm

References
[1] Zhao, X., Liu, J., & Huang, J. (2023). Spectrum scarcity and dynamic access in the 6G era: A comprehensive review. IEEE Network, 37(1), 80–87.
[2] Wang, Q., & Yu, W. (2022). Adaptive resource allocation in dynamic spectrum sharing: A reinforcement learning approach. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 21(9), 7423–7436.
[3] Ali, F., Khan, A., Iqbal, M., & Alkhateeb, A. (2021). Machine learning for beamforming in 5G and beyond: Recent advances and future directions. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 23(4), 2366–2393.
[4] Chen, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, H., & Jiang, T. (2024). Reinforcement learning-based beamforming for dynamic spectrum access in cognitive radio networks. IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking, 10(1), 58–72.
[5] Zhang, H., Xu, X., Song, J., & Han, Z. (2025). Intelligent beam management for cognitive UAV networks using deep reinforcement learning. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 12(6), 4883–4896.
[6] Van Veen, B. D., & Buckley, K. M. (2020). Beamforming: A versatile approach to spatial filtering. IEEE ASSP Magazine, 5(2), 4–24.
[7] Khalaf, B., Khan, W. Z., & Lloret, J. (2021). A survey on beamforming techniques for wireless comm and networks. Sensors, 21(3), 891.
[8] Alkhateeb, A., & Heath, R. W. (2020). Deep learning for beam selection in millimeter wave communications. IEEE Transactions on Communications, 68(9), 5639–5653.
[9] Elbir, A. M. (2021). Federated learning for hybrid beamforming in mmWave massive MIMO systems. IEEE Communications Letters, 25(9), 2893–2897.
[10] Liu, Y., Chen, S., & Li, J. (2020). Mobility-aware RL beamforming in vehicular communication. IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 69(7), 7722–7733.
[11] Chen, X., Zhao, J., & Wang, Q. (2022). Direction-aware beamforming using RL for UAV networks. IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, 11(5), 1043–1046.
[12] Zhang, L., Li, W., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Transfer reinforcement learning for fast beam adaptation in CRNs. IEEE Access, 9, 123500–123514.
[13] Wang, H., Zhang, X., & Han, Z. (2023). Meta-learning-enhanced beamforming for spectrum-aware networks. IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 10(4), 2811–2825.
[14] Lee, K., Kim, Y., & Bennis, M. (2020). Federated beamforming: Distributed learning with privacy in massive MIMO systems. IEEE Transactions on Communications, 68(11), 6657–6671.
[15] Kang, J., Xiong, Z., Niyato, D., & Zou, Y. (2021). Incentive design for federated learning: Challenges and opportunities. IEEE Wireless Communications, 28(3), 132–139.
[16] Huang, H., Jiang, C., & Chen, Y. (2020). Deep RL-based beamforming: Complexity analysis and optimization. IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 68, 6241–6256.
[17] Dai, M., Wu, Q., & Jin, S. (2021). Deep reinforcement learning for scalable massive MIMO systems. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, 39(8), 2398–2412.
[18] Rahman, M. M., Ahmed, S., & Islam, M. (2022). Lightweight Q-learning beamforming for dynamic spectrum CRNs. IEEE Access, 10, 15101–15113.
[19] Yin, H., Wang, B., & Song, J. (2024). Prioritized experience in multi-agent DSA using RL. IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, 23(3), 2105–2117.
[20] Sun, X., Zhang, T., & Han, Y. (2025). Graph reinforcement learning for RIS-assisted intelligent beam selection. IEEE Transactions on Communications, 73(2), 1032–1045.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Omolaye, P. O., Adeleye, S. A., Jeffrey, E. S., Igwue, G. A. (2026). AI-Assisted Adaptive Beamforming Antennas for Dynamic Spectrum Access. American Journal of Networks and Communications, 15(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11

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    ACS Style

    Omolaye, P. O.; Adeleye, S. A.; Jeffrey, E. S.; Igwue, G. A. AI-Assisted Adaptive Beamforming Antennas for Dynamic Spectrum Access. Am. J. Netw. Commun. 2026, 15(1), 1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11

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    AMA Style

    Omolaye PO, Adeleye SA, Jeffrey ES, Igwue GA. AI-Assisted Adaptive Beamforming Antennas for Dynamic Spectrum Access. Am J Netw Commun. 2026;15(1):1-9. doi: 10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11,
      author = {Philip Omohimire Omolaye and Samuel Adedeji Adeleye and Eiyike Smith Jeffrey and Gabriel Agu Igwue},
      title = {AI-Assisted Adaptive Beamforming Antennas for Dynamic Spectrum Access},
      journal = {American Journal of Networks and Communications},
      volume = {15},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-9},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajnc.20261501.11},
      abstract = {The rapid growth in wireless communications and the increasing scarcity of spectrum necessitate intelligent and adaptive technologies for efficient utilization of available resources. Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) offers a promising solution to these challenges. However, achieving real-time spectrum agility and interference mitigation remains a technical hurdle. This paper presents a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted adaptive beamforming scheme based on reinforcement learning (RL) to dynamically steer antenna beams toward legitimate users while suppressing interference. An 8-element Uniform Linear Array (ULA) operating at 2.4 GHz is modeled in MATLAB, and a Q-learning algorithm is employed to learn optimal beamforming weights through spectrum feedback. Simulation results demonstrate that the RL-based approach achieves a 4.9 dB improvement in Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) and 38% faster convergence compared to classical Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithms. Unlike conventional adaptive beamforming methods, the proposed scheme does not require prior knowledge of the interference environment or channel statistics, enabling autonomous adaptation in highly dynamic spectrum conditions. Moreover, the system exhibits robustness to user mobility and Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) variations, making it suitable for cognitive base stations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) communications, and Spectrum-sharing Internet of Things (IoT) environments. These results indicate that reinforcement learning–driven beam control can serve as a practical enabler for real-time spectrum intelligence in next-generation wireless systems. This work underscores the potential of intelligent beamforming for next-generation wireless systems and sets the stage for future enhancements using deep RL and hybrid beamforming architectures.},
     year = {2026}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - AI-Assisted Adaptive Beamforming Antennas for Dynamic Spectrum Access
    AU  - Philip Omohimire Omolaye
    AU  - Samuel Adedeji Adeleye
    AU  - Eiyike Smith Jeffrey
    AU  - Gabriel Agu Igwue
    Y1  - 2026/01/30
    PY  - 2026
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11
    T2  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
    JF  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
    JO  - American Journal of Networks and Communications
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 9
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2326-8964
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajnc.20261501.11
    AB  - The rapid growth in wireless communications and the increasing scarcity of spectrum necessitate intelligent and adaptive technologies for efficient utilization of available resources. Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) offers a promising solution to these challenges. However, achieving real-time spectrum agility and interference mitigation remains a technical hurdle. This paper presents a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted adaptive beamforming scheme based on reinforcement learning (RL) to dynamically steer antenna beams toward legitimate users while suppressing interference. An 8-element Uniform Linear Array (ULA) operating at 2.4 GHz is modeled in MATLAB, and a Q-learning algorithm is employed to learn optimal beamforming weights through spectrum feedback. Simulation results demonstrate that the RL-based approach achieves a 4.9 dB improvement in Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) and 38% faster convergence compared to classical Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithms. Unlike conventional adaptive beamforming methods, the proposed scheme does not require prior knowledge of the interference environment or channel statistics, enabling autonomous adaptation in highly dynamic spectrum conditions. Moreover, the system exhibits robustness to user mobility and Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) variations, making it suitable for cognitive base stations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) communications, and Spectrum-sharing Internet of Things (IoT) environments. These results indicate that reinforcement learning–driven beam control can serve as a practical enabler for real-time spectrum intelligence in next-generation wireless systems. This work underscores the potential of intelligent beamforming for next-generation wireless systems and sets the stage for future enhancements using deep RL and hybrid beamforming architectures.
    VL  - 15
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria

  • Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

  • Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria

  • Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria

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