Keysight Technologies Inc. announced the company's 5G RF Conformance Toolset was used to submit 5G new radio (NR) standalone (SA) test cases to the Global Certification Forum (GCF), enabling the independent certification body to activate certification of 5G NR SA mobile devices based on 3GPP standards.
In addition, Keysight was first to submit a 5G NR SA TTCN-31 protocol conformance test case to 3GPP RAN52 using Keysight's 5G Protocol Conformance Toolset. These significant industry milestones support mobile operators' early 5G NR deployments using a new and independent end-to-end network architecture in sub-6 GHz (frequency range 1 or FR1) spectrum. They also enable the delivery of new 5G use cases that require enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), low-latency and ultra-high reliability capabilities.
"Standalone mode is a key aspect of 5G. This achievement is another key proof-point of Keysight's pivotal role in advancing 5G development in standards organizations such as 3GPP, Global Certification Forum and PTCRB," said Kailash Narayanan, vice president and general manager of Keysight's wireless test group. "We are accelerating next-generation connectivity through our leading contributions to the standards."
Protocol and RF conformance tests are a key enabler for chipset, device manufacturers and test 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 sub-6 GHz and mmWave frequency bands. Keysight's suite of 5G network emulation solutions leverage the company's UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform to address device development workflow from early design to acceptance and manufacturing. These compact solutions support the device certification process and scales to facilitate mobile device verification, as well as certification across RF, radio resource management (RRM) and protocol.
Earlier this year, Keysight gained GCF approval for 5G NR non-standalone (NSA) mobile device certification. The latest GCF approval extends Keysight's test case coverage for both NSA and SA mode, enabling designers to confidently evolve with the latest 5G NR specifications. Keysight's 5G Conformance Toolset offers the industry's widest range of GCF 5G NR radio frequency SA test cases and frequency band combinations.