6G FR3 testing

Status of 5G and 5G-Advanced

While 5G has introduced significant advancements such as network slicing and the integration of AI/ML for sophisticated data processing, most operators have not yet transitioned to standalone (SA) mode - essential for direct device connection to the 5G core network. Consequently, the services offered by 5G continue to be similar to those offered by 4G. In addition, no definitive "killer application" for 5G has emerged yet, although smart factories and autonomous vehicles are promising areas.

Fixed wireless access (FWA) shows potential as a key use case, supported by investments in the FR2 spectrum. Challenges with FWA are (1) spectrum coexistence and (2) high pathloss and distance between the device and base station. FR2 enables beamforming methods via highly directive beams with large gains incorporated into an antenna architecture.

Furthermore, 5G currently falls short in fully supporting immersive applications, which require exceptionally high data rates, low latency and robust real-time synchronization. Next-generation (NG) networks are necessary to implement adaptive scheduling, predictive buffering and priority-based packet handling that account for human perceptual thresholds in spatial computing patterns.

The industry is approaching these challenges with a 3-stage process defined by 3GPP:

• Describing the overall service from an end user perspective
• Organization of network functions to map service requirements to the network capabilities
• Definition of signaling functionalities to support services identified in Stage 1 based on the architecture defined in Stage 2

Once 5G implements Releases 18 and 19, it will fully support immersive applications. However, comprehensive support and the network capabilities required by these advanced technologies are anticipated to only be fully realized with the advent of 6G, with the integration of FR3.

FR3 testing challenges

End-to-end testing in FR3 is challenging but essential to evaluating new 6G technologies.

Key test challenges include:

• Phase and time coherence across multiple channels requires highly sophisticated equipment and meticulous calibration
• Accurately simulating real-world hardware imperfections like phase noise and interference without introducing unrealistic artifacts requires highly precise and adaptable emulation tools.
• Handling large bandwidths and multiple channels simultaneously increases complexity and demands significant computational power and advanced testing equipment.
• Testing environments that can scale to handle increasing complexity and higher performance demands of future 6G advancements is a challenge that can be addressed by advanced AI-powered solutions.
• Support for NTN requires enhanced testing capabilities that specifically cover the propagation conditions for different satellite constellations. Unlike terrestrial networks, NTN will operate in FDD duplex mode.
• GigaMIMO will integrate more antenna elements in antenna arrays, allowing for a much higher number of simultaneous beams with a narrower beamwidth. This will challenge over-the-air (OTA) testing and demand new test methods.
• Multi-radio spectrum sharing (MRSS) is expected to enable 5G and 6G to simultaneously use the same frequency bands. For this, new mechanisms for fair spectrum coexistence must be defined.
• Replicating a wide range of propagation environments in a controlled lab setting is challenging due to the unique characteristics and varying levels in each scenario.

Our solutions for 6G FR3 testing

FR3 testing requires engineers to modify and test parameters that are beyond the currently allowed settings of the 5G standard. With our “Beyond 5G” signal generation and analysis solutions, we enable engineers to create customized signals for FR3 testing. This means that it is possible to modify parameters, such as bandwidth and modulation format, to test new physical layer aspects for 6G research and development applications. Our solutions also support fading emulation to cover NTN scenarios.

The CMX500 wireless communication tester is already FR3-ready, offering network emulation across FR1, FR2 and FR3 in a single box. This one-box solution creates a signaling environment by transmitting a FR3 cell signal, without the need for any additional hardware. It also simulates real-world conditions and conducts a comprehensive analysis to verify a device’s ability to achieve maximum throughput, making the CMX500 the ideal choice for FR3 research and development.

In addition, the CMX500 offers many features for NTN testing. It emulates the radio channel on both network and device levels, incorporates the NTN protocol stack enhancements, provides comprehensive mobility and handover testing options and supports interoperability testing.