This significant industry milestone supports the first 5G NR deployments in the sub-6GHz spectrum (Frequency Range 1 or FR1). The 3GPP SA Release 15 specification supports standalone deployment and a new end-to-end architecture, enabling mobile operators to deliver 5G Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) applications and meet the low-latency and ultra-high-reliability requirements of various industries.
“Standalone mode is a key aspect of 5G. This achievement is yet another demonstration of the key role Keysight plays in fostering 5G development within standards organizations such as 3GPP, the Global Certification Forum, and PTCRB,” said Kailash Narayanan, Vice President and General Manager of Keysight’s Wireless Testing Group. “We are accelerating next-generation connectivity with our outstanding contributions to standards.”.
RF and protocol conformance testing is a fundamental element for device and chipset manufacturers and testing labs to validate the performance of new 5G designs. Mobile operators and their ecosystems use Keysight's 5G network emulation solutions to validate new devices across all millimeter wave and sub-6GHz frequency bands. Keysight's suite of 5G network emulation solutions leverages the Keysight UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform to address the device development workflow from early design through acceptance and manufacturing. These compact solutions support the device certification process and facilitate mobile device testing and certification across radio frequency (RF), radio resource management (RRM), and protocol.
Last month, Keysight became the first to achieve another key industry milestone by earning authorization from the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PTCRB (a certification forum comprised of a select group of leading mobile operators) for the validation of 5G NR SA test cases. This latest GCF authorization allows designers to confidently evolve with the latest 5G NR specifications using Keysight’s 5G compliance toolkit, which supports the industry’s broadest range of GCF 5G NR SA test cases and frequency band combinations.
1 TTCN-3 (Test and Test Control Notation version 3) is the primary language used in 3GPP to specify different types of reactive system tests across a variety of communication ports.
2 RAN5 is a working group within 3GPP that focuses on the specification of the radio interface conformance test for user equipment (UE).