Channel emulation toolset speeds 5G NTN deployment

The delivery of cost-effective and secure broad-band cellular connectivity in remote areas for consumers as well as public safety, smart cities and agriculture, mining and extraction industries, rely on a combination of satellite and terrestrial networks.

As a result, the global cellular standards organisation 3GPP has included 5G NTN in the release-17 specifications (Rel-17) which is expected to be complete by the spring of 2022. NTN supports 5G backhaul and provides improved coverage and data speeds in rural areas.

Keysight combines expertise in commercial communications and aerospace to create integrated 5G NTN test solutions with end-to-end satellite link emulation capabilities.

Part of Keysight’s wider portfolio of aerospace test and measurement solutions, the new toolset supports end-to-end field acceptance testing, crucial in the delivery of global coverage, aeronautical and maritime communications, as well as emergency and disaster recovery in rural areas.

“Keysight’s new toolset, an application specific 5G NTN test solution, enables vendors and mobile operators, as well as providers of satellite equipment and networks, to verify complex systems consisting of both earthbound infrastructure and orbiting satellites,” said Janne Kolu, research and development director of Keysight’s channel emulator products. “We’re pleased to contribute with deep industry insight and solutions for both 5G and space. This will help the cellular industry bridge the knowledge gap and deliver on the complete vision of 5G new radio.”

Keysight’s S8825A Satellite and Aerospace Channel Emulation Toolset leverages PROPSIM FS16 and F64 channel emulator hardware and software platforms to provide real-world radio channel capabilities, including dynamic multipath propagation, wider bandwidths and up to 64 radio or aerospace channels.

Offering comprehensive support for all 5G NTN system requirements, the new toolset enables customers to:

• Create end-to-end mixed terrestrial and space test networks in a laboratory environment for cost-effective end-user experience verification
• Emulate ground-to-satellite, satellite-to-ground as well as ground-to-ground satellite links to holistically verify the performance of both terrestrial and non-terrestrial infrastructure
• Achieve highly accurate measurements by addressing link verification complexity introduced by long delays, high mobility of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Doppler Effect and mesh network topology