Global smartphone usage continues to grow rapidly, driving a sustained increase in mobile data traffic, along with ever-increasing user expectations for consistent quality of service, regardless of network load or cell conditions. Users now expect uninterrupted connectivity with reliable performance across a wide range of usage scenarios. One effective approach to improving user experience and network efficiency is data compression.
Uplink transmissions typically contain a significant proportion of protocol overhead, including IP and transport layer headers, while traditional mechanisms, such as robust header compression (ROHC), focus on header compression.
3GPP Release 17 introduces Uplink Data Compression (UDC), which allows for a greater reduction of redundant data before transmission. UDC operates on the user equipment (UE) side before radio transmission, improving uplink efficiency by reducing the volume of data transmitted where redundancy exists. This leads to greater spectral efficiency and increased effective throughput for user data, especially for traffic types that are not yet compressed or encrypted.
Through this collaboration, Anritsu and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. support industry validation of UDC compliance and interoperability, helping to accelerate the commercial implementation of 3GPP Release 17 features.
“Compatibility with the 3GPP Release 17 uplink data compression test cases enables more efficient use of uplink radio resources by reducing redundant data before transmission,” said Yokoo Daizaburo, general manager of Anritsu’s Mobile Solutions Division. “By allowing accurate verification of UDC functionality, Anritsu helps operators and device manufacturers improve effective uplink performance and overall network efficiency, especially in scenarios where data compression offers quantifiable benefits.”.
"We are proud that our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies is helping the industry quickly and confidently deploy and validate new 5G features, such as version 17 uplink data compression," he added.
The conformance tests are defined by 3GPP in specification TS 38.523-1 and conform to the fundamental requirements of specification TS 38.323. Anritsu has submitted these tests to 3GPP Radio Access Networks Working Group 5 (RAN WG5). They are available on the 3GPP RAN5 portal.
Solution overview
5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR
The 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR is registered as test platform no. 251 in both the GCF and the PTCRB.
This platform supports 3GPP-based protocol conformance testing (PCT) and operator acceptance testing (CAT) for mobile devices incorporating multiple radio access technologies. It covers 5G NR in both standalone and non-standalone modes, along with LTE, LTE-Advanced, LTE-A Pro, W-CDMA, and NTN. When combined with MA8171A OTA RF cameraand RF converters, the ME7834NR enables testing in the sub-6 GHz 5G NR and millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands.
