Keysight Technologies, has enabled the Global Certification Forum (GCF) to activate certification of 5G new radio (NR) frequency range 2 (FR2) devices. This allows 5G device makers to address 3GPP-based 5G NR FR2 test requirements from a single solution platform. The certification was activated by the conformance agreement group (CAG) at the most recent GCF meeting using Keysight's S8705A RF/RRM DVT & Conformance and S8704A Protocol Conformance Toolsets. As a result, organizations can leverage wider bandwidths at mmWave spectrum to address enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) applications such as high data rate intensive streaming, wireless broadcasting, gaming as well as augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
The GCF-approval of the first FR2 test cases supports a growing trend in using the mmWave spectrum to deploy 5G NR for high-density, short-range connectivity in metropolitan areas and private networks such as for smart factory applications. Twenty percent of the four-hundred and forty-four 5G devices announced to date support mmWave spectrum and more than twenty mobile operators are already deploying 5G services in FR2.
The conformance toolset, part of Keysight's suite of 5G network emulation solutions, supports all 3GPP specified 4G and 5G frequency bands on common hardware and software platforms. This results in accelerated and cost-effective validation of both 5G FR1 and 5G FR2 devices on a compact footprint. Keysight combines its 5G network emulations solutions with the company's compact antenna test range (CATR) chamber to create integrated mmWave over-the-air (OTA) test solutions. Industry-leading measurement performance generates accurate test results, improves reliability, and enables users to flexibly and confidently validate devices across complex network scenarios for both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) mode.
Keysight has maintained support for a leading number of GCF-validated test cases specific to the mmWave spectrum since July 2019 when the company achieved industry-first GCF validation for 5G NR radio conformance testing (RCT) in FR2. Keysight's conformance test solutions were also used to enable GCF to activate certification of 5G NR devices, supporting FR1, in October of 2019. Early access to a wide range of 5G NR test cases, on common platforms, accelerates and simplifies device testing.
