5G testing

5G NR is the first communications standard designed to support a wide range of consumer and industry applications, maximizing system efficiency.

The service-based architecture in the 5G core network allows for exceptional system flexibility, disaggregated deployment, radio access technology (RAT) agnostic access, software-based methods enabling cloudification and virtualization strategies, and new vertical use cases. Unlike previous wireless communication technologies, 5G undergoes a unique technical evolution that is not only based on chronological time flow across the 3GPP releases. The evolution of 5G is characterized by categorizing new features into technology subgroups or vertical use case scenarios that evolve within the releases and may have interdependencies.

• 3GPP Release 15 established the foundation for 5G NR as RAT with new, flexible numerology, advanced channel coding, and modulation schemes. With the 5G core (5GC), 3GPP introduced a service-based architecture model of the relevant core network functions. Both 5G NR and 5GC as core technologies drive the evolution of upcoming releases. This release primarily addressed eMBB use cases by enabling wider channel bandwidths and extended carrier aggregation schemes while also extending frequencies into the millimeter wave range to increase the availability of radio resources. The functional freeze of Release 15 was completed in June 2019.
• 5G Release 16 built upon the features introduced in Release 15, such as mobile broadband, to enhance the technology and optimize the feature set. However, Release 16 was mainly influenced by two vertical markets: Automotive and Industry 4.0, which commonly require low latency as well as reliable and secure communications. As a result, new features like V2X sidelink, 5G positioning, 5G unlicensed (NR-U), DSS, network slicing, and support for private 5G networks were introduced. The functional freeze of Release 16 was finalized in June 2020.
• 5G Release 17 functional freeze was completed in June 2022, consolidating, enhancing and improving features introduced in Releases 15 and 16 – while also adding new features such as satellite access via non-terrestrial networks, enhanced battery performance, extension of the FR2, and the introduction of RedCap. With Release 17, the traditional terrestrial network was complemented for the first time by a satellite-based network, moving beyond the limitations of 2D networks to include non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
  This expansion towards a unified 3D network sets the stage for future advancements towards 6G technology. RedCap in Release 17 has led to a complexity reduction, paving the way for new device categories and services, bridging the gap between eMBB and mMTC and features even up to ambient IoT in Release 19. Furthermore, 5G has expanded its services to cover new and additional frequency spectrums, including an extension of FR2 up to 71 GHz.
• Release 18 is the first release of 5G-Advanced, representing a significant evolution in 5G technology. This release introduces enhancements of legacy technology aspects and optimizes existing technologies. But it also introduces more revolutionary aspects with novel technologies in the background of artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR), setting the stage for 6G. It includes machine-learning techniques across different network levels, enhancing beamforming/MIMO, position estimates and network power efficiency. To enable new use cases, notable additions include an enhancement of RedCap and extended reality (XR) applications. XR does not need the introduction of new technologies but requires the optimization of existing 5G technologies to ensure best QoE for such revolutionary use cases. Utilizing enhanced RedCap features and new RedCap UE categories based on Rel. 18 will lead to reduced power consumption and device costs, as well as enabling new use cases like 5G mission critical (MCX) or the future railway communication system (FRMCS). Additionally, the introduction of FR2 for NTN is a key feature that does not only enable satellite connectivity via 5G, but also supports NTN services demanding a higher data rate and new NTN-UE categories such as airplane-, vessel- or vehicle-based VSATs. The functional freeze of Release 18 was completed in June 2024.
• Release 19, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, will primarily focus on optimizing performance and addressing critical needs in commercial 5G deployments. It will support massive MIMO on larger antenna arrays, improve link and network performance, and explore the potential of utilizing “FR3” (7 GHz to 24 GHz) for 5G applications. The usage of this spectrum is very demanding as it is already occupied by incumbent owners. To ensure a fair neighborhood transmission, 5G NR needs to introduce new mechanisms, such as geolocation databases, power restrictions or dynamic spectrum sharing concepts and an interference-resistant receiver architecture. This release will also investigate new architectures for ambient IoT devices – devices without battery, using energy harvesting methods – in the realm of 5G-Advanced. Legacy use cases such as voice and video will also be supported in 5G, with new speech codecs and protocol scenarios in VoNR optimizing voice quality by offering higher speech codec rates, but also introducing low complexity audio codecs for machine-type basic audio messaging. This will result in a new era of services supporting XR or AR applications as potentially groundbreaking innovations in the future.
• Release 20, scheduled to kick off in early 2026, targets new use cases, optimizing and enhancing the existing 5G-Advanced feature set. But Release 20 will also start with a study item on 6G to pave the way for the 6G standardization work, forecasted for the Release 21 series.

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5G NR testing challenges

Testing 5G New Radio (NR) technology presents numerous challenges due to its complexity and the wide range of applications it supports. Some of the challenges include:

• Frequency range: 5G NR operates across a broad range of frequencies, including sub-8 GHz and mmWave bands.
• Complex signals: 5G NR allows for more complex modulation schemes, as well as multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) and beamforming technologies, making testing more challenging and requiring advanced over-the-air test solutions.
• High data rates: Testing peak data rates in the range of 10 Gbps at the application layer is more challenging. Test equipment must be capable of handling high data rates and supporting end-user applications for end-to-end testing.
• Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC): The mass deployment of IoT results in a high number of devices. Those devices are typically of a low complexity, requiring simple test solutions. Since such IoT devices are deployed in high numbers and installed in presumably difficult-to-access areas, the risk of failure is a tremendous threat that needs to be tackled by testing beforehand. New use cases are devices supporting IoT-NTN or RedCap.
• eMBB testing: eMBB aims to provide much higher data speeds and lower latency that require precise verification through testing. While this can be complex and challenging, it is crucial to ensure that the network as well as the mobile device can meet the high performance expectations. In a groundbreaking test result, the CMX500 showcased an IP layer throughput of 10 Gbps.

Your 5G NR test and measurement challenges – from components and chipsets to assembled user devices and base stations – inspire us to deliver innovative solutions for your success. Accelerate your product development process and enhance reliability with the Rohde & Schwarz's 5G test solutions. We at Rohde & Schwarz consider the wide base of applications and use cases of the 5G technology evolution as an opportunity and challenge. We continuously enhance our test solutions to cover the latest features and requirements. This includes, for example, a new concept for NTN testing, representing a paradigm shift as the legacy term “base station” does not prevail. Also, the system simulator now needs to emulate a moving satellite with RF artefacts like fading, Doppler shift or time-variant delays.

With the CMX-lite , we focus on the need for a low-complexity but high-quality test system that perfectly matches the reduced capabilities of RedCap devices for all RF and protocol tests. This modular platform can easily be upgraded to a fully equipped 5G test system. The multi-technology nature of the system simulator enables 5G and Wi-Fi interworking testing with a single box. The modularity also allows the extension by additional test equipment such as an audio tester for sophisticated audio and voice quality measurements.

As a global leader in RF and microwave test and measurement equipment, we provide support throughout the entire mobile technology lifecycle, offering solutions for lab, production, and field measurements.

Our test solutions are tailored to complex use cases, considering the latest architectural advancements.