Improved techniques are disclosed for quantizing complex vectors in communication systems. For example, a method includes the following steps. At least one complex vector representative of at least one element of a communication system is obtained. A codeword that approximates the complex vector is identified. The identified codeword is a codeword, from a set of codewords, wherein a real part of a product of the codeword and a scaled version of the complex vector is about maximal over the set of codewords. The scaled version of the complex vector is the product of the complex vector and a constant from a set of constants. In one embodiment, the element of the communication system that the complex vector represents is a channel between a base station and a user terminal in the communication system.