Rohde & Schwarz certified to test 5G tech in US

The US Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) has certified a Rohde & Schwarz multiple angles of arrival (multi-AoA) test system, the first time such a device has been certified by the agency.

According to the multinational test equipment maker, the multi-AoA test system received an OTA performance certification from CTIA, a trade association representing the US wireless communications industry.

The test solution has been designed to address the adoption of new, complex technologies – such as beamforming – associated with 5G NR mmWave technology.

For FR2, every device will have to be tested over the air (OTA), without any cable connections, with many advanced 5G NR applications also relying on ultra-high data rates and ultra-low latencies.

Rohde & Schwarz described the CTIA certification as “the door-opener for validating 5G devices including FR2 frequencies for device manufacturers and network operators in the US, and a recognized 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 said it is the first test and measurement supplier authorized by the CTIA to supply these certification tests in a 5G FR2 test system that also offers full multi-AoA 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. 28 GHz) 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.

Dr Thomas Eyring, director of mobile device certification at Rohde & Schwarz, said: “We are proud to support CTIA’s endeavors to accelerate the roll-out of wireless connectivity broadband across the US and beyond."