A communication method for a radio access node, RAN, comprising: receiving , by a digital beamforming stage of said RAN, K downlink data streams and rendering, by said digital beamforming stage , N output data streams, N being greater than or equal to K; transforming, by a radio frequency, RF, chain stage of said RAN, the N output data streams from the frequency domain into N analog time domain data streams, transforming, by an analog beamforming stage of said RAN, the N analog time domain data streams into M analog signals driving M antenna elements, and transmitting, by a multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, antenna module of said RAN comprising said M antenna elements, said M analog signals in a number of signal beams , wherein said digital beamforming stage comprises a first precoding stage configured according to a long-term matrix having a long refresh period and a second precoding stage configured according to a short-term matrix having a short refresh period, and said rendering, by said digital beamforming stage , said N output data streams comprises - mapping, by said second precoding stage , each of the K downlink data streams to one or more of S antenna ports, wherein the number S of antenna ports corresponds to a group of the antenna elements forming a signal beam, S being smaller than M, and S being not greater than N, and - mapping, by said first precoding stage , each of the S antenna ports to one or more of the RF chains to generate said N output data streams. receiving , by a digital beamforming stage of said RAN, K downlink data streams and rendering, by said digital beamforming stage , N output data streams, N being greater than or equal to K; transforming, by a radio frequency, RF, chain stage of said RAN, the N output data streams from the frequency domain into N analog time domain data streams, transforming, by an analog beamforming stage of said RAN, the N analog time domain data streams into M analog signals driving M antenna elements, and transmitting, by a multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, antenna module of said RAN comprising said M antenna elements, said M analog signals in a number of signal beams , wherein said digital beamforming stage comprises a first precoding stage configured according to a long-term matrix having a long refresh period and a second precoding stage configured according to a short-term matrix having a short refresh period, and said rendering, by said digital beamforming stage , said N output data streams comprises - mapping, by said second precoding stage , each of the K downlink data streams to one or more of S antenna ports, wherein the number S of antenna ports corresponds to a group of the antenna elements forming a signal beam, S being smaller than M, and S being not greater than N, and - mapping, by said first precoding stage , each of the S antenna ports to one or more of the RF chains to generate said N output data streams. - mapping, by said second precoding stage , each of the K downlink data streams to one or more of S antenna ports, wherein the number S of antenna ports corresponds to a group of the antenna elements forming a signal beam, S being smaller than M, and S being not greater than N, and - mapping, by said first precoding stage , each of the S antenna ports to one or more of the RF chains to generate said N output data streams. <EOS>