Keysight Technologies and Qualcomm Technologies have
successfully established the industry’s first end-to-end interoperability and
data connection within Frequency Range 3 (FR3), which spans from 7.125 GHz to
24.25 GHz. This achievement highlights the potential of FR3 to support future
6G systems and advanced 5G applications, providing wider bandwidths that enable
ultra-high-speed data transmission.
A Key Spectrum for Future Wireless Technologies
The 3GPP’s spectrum allocation
includes three main frequency ranges: Frequency Range 1 (FR1) for bands below 6
GHz, widely used in current 5G networks; Frequency Range 2 (FR2), covering
bands above 24 GHz, associated with millimeter-wave technology; and Frequency
Range 3 (FR3), which sits between these two ranges. FR3 offers significant
potential due to its ability to support higher data rates and greater capacity,
making it a prime candidate for the next generation of wireless communication
technologies, including 5G-Advanced and 6G.
Technical Details of the Interoperability Test
The successful connection was
facilitated by Keysight’s E7515P UXM 5G wireless test platform, in conjunction
with Qualcomm’s 5G mobile test platform (MTP). The test focused on user
equipment (UE) calibration and radio frequency performance verification, establishing
a full-stack data connection between the MTP and Keysight’s 5G network
emulation solutions. This test demonstrated the feasibility of using FR3 for
seamless network connections between 5G base stations and next-generation
mobile devices.
Accelerating the Development of 5G-Advanced and 6G Devices
This milestone is a crucial step in
the advancement of 5G-Advanced and 6G technologies. According to Tingfang Ji,
VP of Engineering at Qualcomm Wireless Research, the success of this FR3
testing will expedite the design and deployment of new devices and technologies.
Lucas Hansen, VP of Keysight’s Wireless Devices and Operators unit, emphasized
that this achievement will significantly shorten the development cycle for
5G-Advanced and 6G devices, accelerating their time to market.
The Future of FR3 in Wireless Communications
As the global telecom industry
explores new spectrum opportunities for 6G, the lower portion of FR3 is
attracting considerable interest. This spectrum could play a similar role in 6G
as midband spectrum does in 5G, providing wide-area coverage with high data
rates. Qualcomm is already developing a prototype “Giga-MIMO” system to
leverage FR3’s capabilities, underscoring the importance of this spectrum in
the future of wireless communications.
