Acceptance Testing Helps Mobile Network Operator Grab Early Leadership in 5G

The promise of 5G extends far beyond faster speeds. It includes higher reliability for mission-critical communications, lower latencies for gaming and business applications, and massive Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity.

For mobile network operators (MNOs), 5G opens market opportunities and enables new business models. Those business models fall into three major categories: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC).

But delivering on this promise and capitalizing on these business opportunities requires MNOs to provide a quality of service that will enable subscribers to take advantage of all the benefits of 5G technology. With the stakes so high — and with standards still evolving — operators must adopt reliable test solutions that support the higher frequencies, wider bandwidths, and new physical layer features of 5G — not to mention conformance test capabilities compliant with the standards.

Challenges: Evolving Standards, Limited Time

In the summer of 2018, a major MNO began collaborating with Keysight on 5G network design, development, and testing. The primary goal of the collaboration was 5G device conformance testing. Conformance testing ensures that mobile devices adhere to industry standards and regulatory requirements. Those requirements include protocol and radio frequency (RF), with measurements such as occupied bandwidth, receiver performance, intermodulation distortion, and radio resource management (RRM).

Timing was critical. The MNO was preparing to roll out 5G services in early 2019. It needed to conduct testing on early 5G smartphones and other devices in the fall of 2018. At the time, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) conformance test requirements and test methods were less than 50 percent complete. Organizations such as the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PTCRB, a group of leading US MNOs, were still preparing their device certification requirements. The MNO needed to develop test specifications and provide test case scripts for its device acceptance test plans to ensure the interoperability of the devices it was planning to launch with its 5G network. It needed a provider with experience in 5G device testing.

In addition to the evolving nature of 5G standards and test requirements, 5G conformance testing is complicated by a dramatic increase in complexity compared with 4G LTE. Issues include higher frequency ranges, wider channel bandwidth, and increasing coexistence scenarios. Test environments and test schemes are also different between Frequency Range 1 (FR1, 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz) and the millimeter-wave (mmWave) Frequency Range 2 (FR2, 24.25 to 52.6 GHz). Those differences significantly increase test complexity. The number of test cases for 5G represents an exponential increase compared with LTE.

Solutions: Keysight Network Emulation Solutions

Keysight has invested heavily in 5G. It partnered early with standards-setting industry leaders to understand the complexities of 5G and develop solutions that span the device development workflow. Keysight is also a contributor to the 3GPP, helping define 5G specifications and test cases. While mmWave is new to MNOs, Keysight has mmWave expertise from decades of experience in aerospace and defense. The MNO chose Keysight based on that expertise, coupled with Keysight’s compelling 5G roadmap and commitment to collaboration.

Working with Keysight, the MNO realized the value of investing in a 5G test system that could handle protocol, RF, and RRM testing. The MNO ultimately chose to leverage Keysight’s portfolio of Network Emulation Solutions (NES) built on the E7515B UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform, including Keysight’s S8701A Protocol R&D Toolset, S8704A Protocol Conformance Toolset, and S8705A RF / RRM DVT & Conformance Toolset.