Rohde & Schwarz: CTIA authorised 5GmmWave test system with multi-AoA capabilities in FR2

For FR2, every device will have to be tested over the air (OTA), without any cable connections. Many advanced 5G NR applications also rely on ultra-high data rates and ultra-low latencies. Both are only accessible in FR2.

The test solution from Rohde & Schwarz is tailored to address these requirements and features. Certification by CTIA is the door-opener for validating 5G devices including FR2 frequencies for device manufacturers and network operators in the US, and a recognised stamp of approval worldwide.

The certification of mobile devices against common standards is one of the most important cornerstones of ensuring their interoperability. Rohde & Schwarz is the first test and measurement supplier authorised by the CTIA to supply these certification tests in a 5G FR2 test system that also offers full multi-AoA (angle of arrival) capabilities.

Multi-AoA is critical for verifying the performance of mobile devices in the mmWave space, as radio waves at these high frequencies (e.g. 28GHz) suffer from high path loss and therefore need to be focused in narrow beams that are challenging to find, track and hand over while moving.

The test system is the same advanced test platform that recently achieved the industry’s first Test Platform Approval Criteria (TPAC) for RRM 5G NR FR2.

Scalable from 30 to 40cm quiet zone, from Single AoA to Multi-AoA and from in-band to out-of-band – the test system is already prepared for advanced testing challenges. These include phantom testing with two hand landscape, single hand portrait and head testing, for which specification work is ongoing at CTIA.

Furthermore, support for the upcoming test requirements from 3GPP release 16, 17 and 18, is being planned, giving customers the confidence to invest in a future-proof platform.