Compact test scanner covers all LTE-A wavebands

The advent of smartphones and tablets has led to a steady increase in mobile data volumes. As a result, drive tests used for the planning, setup and optimisation of wireless communications networks have become indispensable. The scanner helps network operators, infrastructure manufacturers and their service providers with their coverage planning, such as when refarming or when assigning a new spectrum. Benchmarking measurements with other wireless networks are also possible. And network operators can use interference measurements to identify transmission problems caused by overlapping neighboring cells or external interferers such as faulty lines or household electronics.      

With its 350MHz to 4.4GHz measurement bandwidth, the scanner covers all bands specified for wireless communications technologies, and can simultaneously measure any combination of technologies in each band. Typical combinations include UMTS and GSM in the 900MHz band, LTE and GSM in the 1800MHz band, UMTS in the 2100MHz band and LTE in the 2600MHz band. A flexible pricing model allows network operators to configure the R&S TSME such that they only buy the bands they need.      

LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation measurements can now be performed with a single instrument thanks to the scanner's wide measurement bandwidth. The scanner is a scalable solution that can help users roll out LTE networks with MIMO technology. Two or four scanners can be combined for special, MIMO 2x2 or MIMO 4x4 multichannel measurements.   

Inside buildings such as airports, shopping centres and event venues, the scanner can be deployed as the R&S TSME-Z3 backpack system – a low-noise, mobile test solution. Such locations have a high concentration of mobile phone subscribers and therefore very high data service usage. This is why network operators use special small-cell infrastructures such as micro/picocells, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and WLAN offloading to WLAN hotspots. Yet it is precisely these types of in-building networks that are vulnerable to interference. Network operators can now use the measurement results from the backpack solution to optimize their networks efficiently. The backpack system can accommodate up to four R&S TSME scanners and two mobile phones and comes with a range of accessories such as two batteries and an integrated USB hub.