Reducing shared downlink radio channel interference by transmitting to multiple mobiles using multiple antenna beams

A radio base station includes multiple antennas associated with a cell. Multiple mobile radios are selected to receive transmissions over a shared radio channel during a predetermined time interval. Information is transmitted over the shared radio channel to multiple mobile radios in the cell during the predetermined time interval using multiple antenna beams. As a result, interference from the transmission appears as white additive Gaussian noise in time and in space in the cell. A "flashlight effect" caused by a single beam transmission over the shared channel during a predetermined time interval that would normally detrimentally impact mobile channel quality detection is avoided. Other methods for avoiding the flashlight effect are described.