Keysight Technologies Inc. provided a 28 GHz channel sounding solution to NTT DOCOMO Inc., Japan’s leading mobile operator, for a channel sounding research project. This project is part of an ongoing agreement between the two companies to develop next-generation 5G wireless communication systems by conducting channel sounding studies at millimeter wave frequencies.
5G channel sounding is required to characterize the air interface for the new 5G radio communications system. It measures parameters such as path loss, power delay profile, reflection and various fading profiles, including Doppler shift. Channel sounding provides data to design efficient and robust 5G channel models.
Keysight's 5G 28 GHz Channel Sounding Solution with wideband MIMO data capture techniques enables NTT DOCOMO engineers to measure angular spread with fewer measurements and improve resolution of the multi-path parameters.
Keysight and NTT DOCOMO recently cooperated on a similar project for a 60 GHz use case. Results from that research were shared with the industry to accelerate the development and deployment of 5G. The work was published in the paper “Scattering Characteristics of the Human Body in 67-GHz Band,” published in the IEICE Transaction on Communications.
Yukihiko Okumura, group leader of 5G radio access network research at NTT DOCOMO, said, “We knew that we needed a cooperative relationship with a test and measurement provider who specialized in high frequency applications, to develop and verify underlying technologies for 5G. The technical support and expertise from Keysight in 5G channel sounding techniques for mobility helped us understand the channel behavior at millimeter wave frequencies, especially travelling at high speeds.”
Garret Lees, director of the operator solution group at Keysight, said “Keysight is enabling the 5G industry by providing a combination of technical expertise and solutions in millimeter wave frequencies. By partnering with NTT DOCOMO on 5G we’re able to accelerate key testing capabilities, allowing the wider mobile ecosystem to gain insights and innovate early.”