Keysight Technologies Inc. and CommSolid demonstrated the successful completion of a NarrowBand-IoT (NB-IoT) connection with the Keysight E7515A UXM base station emulator and wireless test set during Vodafone’s Innovation Days 2016 (www.vodafone.de/innovationpark/en/events). Establishing a Cat-NB1 device link was the result of a collaboration between Keysight and CommSolid. The Keysight UXM is the world’s first wireless test set to demonstrate connectivity with an NB-IoT device that complies to the standards.

“NB-IoT was designed to enable transfer of small amounts of data over long periods of time, with simplified, less expensive hardware and greater coverage,” said Matthias Weiss, managing director of CommSolid. “Therefore, NB-IoT modules have to be reliable and offer ultra-low power operation for long battery life. The RF design performance of up to 200,000 devices in one cell must ensure network longevity. NB-IoT will be the first step into 5G networks.”

“We are pleased to collaborate with CommSolid on this important milestone,” said Satish Dhanasekaran, VP/GM of Keysight’s Wireless business. “Reliable machine to machine communication enables IoT to get deployed in multiple industries. Keysight is at the forefront, offering simplified design and test solutions to enable IoT deployments.”

The UXM network emulation platform allows designers to optimize IoT designs for critical performance attributes like power consumption, RF performance and interoperability by simulating the real world in the lab.

About Keysight in 5G

The development of 5G depends on up-to-date tools that let designers easily explore new signals, scenarios and topologies. Keysight’s 5G solutions are ready to enable deeper insights as development evolves with the standard. In design and test, Keysight is helping industry leaders innovate across new and existing technologies as they transform ideas into reality. Additional information about Keysight's 5G design, test and measurement solutions is available at www.keysight.com/find/5G.