Keysight and Qualcomm extend DSS partnership

The collaboration utilises Keysight's 5G network emulation solutions to accelerate the development of Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System to support DSS, an emerging technology that is part of the 3GPP Release 15.

By 2020, mobile operators are expected to start implementing DSS on existing 4G LTE base stations, speeding nationwide deployments of 5G services.

DSS allows mobile operators to transform LTE base stations via a software upgrade to create hybrid 4G/5G base stations.

As a result, users of DSS-capable 5G NR devices can access 5G services in urban and rural environments.  

"Our continued collaboration with Keysight on 5G technology, which was initiated in 2015, has enabled Qualcomm Technologies to accelerate the implementation of DSS, a critical feature that will help mobile operators quickly transition to 5G," said Jon Detra, vice president, engineering, Qualcomm Technologies. "Keysight helps us develop and validate our Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System designs at a pace that will help accelerate 5G commercialisation."

DSS enables a mobile operator to flexibly use existing spectrum allocations across low-, mid- and high- frequency bands by dynamically switching between LTE and 5G NR coverage based on traffic demand. Mobile operators can leverage DSS to deliver the best possible performance and coverage for a mix of 4G and 5G devices.

"Our extended collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies on 5G technology enables device makers and mobile operators to cost-effectively build out 5G coverage", said Kailash Narayanan, vice president and general manager of Keysight's wireless test group.

Keysight's 5G network emulation solutions, widely adopted across the mobile ecosystem, allows users to cost-effectively validate multi-radio access technology (RAT) designs on a single platform.

Earlier this year, Keysight announced that the company's 5G collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies resulted in significant industry breakthroughs, including: the industry's first Global Certification Forum (GCF) validation of 5G NR conformance test cases for radio frequency (RF) demodulation and radio resource management (RRM); and the industry's first announced 5G NR data call in the Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) mode.