GCF certification for NTN NB-IoT RF conformance testing

The ME7873NR has received Global Certification Forum (GCF) certification for NB-IoT RF conformance testing in the Certification Agreement Group (CAG) #78, marking a first in the industry. These conformance tests are defined by 3GPP in TS 36.521-4, which corresponds to the core requirements of TS 36.102, and have been submitted by Anritsu to the 3GPP Radio Access Network Working Group 5 (RAN WG5).

"We are pleased to collaborate with Anritsu on this important initiative," said Levana Asraf Fouks, Sr. Director, System Validation & PM Manager, System Engineering at Sony Semiconductor Israel. "Our combined expertise means that our customers benefit from enhanced capabilities to meet their own evolving needs. By partnering with Anritsu from the early stages, we’re able to work towards a swift certification process for modules and devices. The validation of NTN NB-IoT RF conformance tests is a major step forward for the industry."

“NTN NB-IoT, which is defined by 3GPP Release 17, is a standard determining the current use of NB-IoT in the NTN and enables new use cases and monetisation opportunities for vertical industry segments,” said Keiji Kameda, General Manager of the Mobile Solutions Division at Anritsu Corporation. “We are proud that our collaboration with Sony enables us to help the industry validate new features so they can quickly reach the market and attain certification in GCF/PTCRB to realise new devices that enable new applications.”

Product outline

The ME7873NR is an automated system for 3GPP TS 38.521/TS 38.533 5G NR RF and RRM tests.

The ME7873NR supports NB-IoT NTNs as specified in 3GPP TS36.521-3 and TS36.521-4, in anticipation of future support for 5G NTNs. Customers can also upgrade from ME7873LA to ME7873NR by simply adding a control PC. Anritsu contributes to a smooth transition from NB-IoT NTN to NR NTN.