The International Certification Discussion board is including system certification for mobile Non-Terrestrial Networks to its packages, responding to rising curiosity throughout the {industry} in ensuring that IoT gadgets and cell phones efficiently interoperate with rising satellite-based connectivity choices.
NTN certification will probably be activated with the subsequent launch of GCF certification standards subsequent month, in response to the group. GCF plans to activate a narrowband IoT certification testing for NTN first, to be adopted by NTN certification for 5G New Radio gadgets.
“By facilitating certification for numerous system producers and fashions, GCF is main the best way—serving to satellite tv for pc operators set the stage for putting NTN-capable gadgets in the marketplace,” stated Isabelle Mauro, director common on the International Satellite tv for pc Operators Affiliation (GSOA). “Activation of an industry-wide certification program is a superb achievement in the direction of this purpose.”
In a weblog submit revealed this week, GCF’s Head of Enterprise Improvement Carlos Pedraz wrote that GCF stated that it has been actively working for the reason that starting of 2023 to introduce NTN requirements into its certification program, beginning with preliminary frequency bands n255 (L-band) and n256 (S-band). The 3GPP Rel-17 NTN certification for NB-IoT will cowl each LEO and GEO constellations, he famous.
“With subject trials for NTN nonetheless being analysed and developed, the preliminary focus is ready on conformance testing,” Pedraz wrote. “Topic to GCF members approval, certification of NTN NB-IoT gadgets might begin with conformance take a look at circumstances solely, till NTN business networks can be found and take a look at specs for subject trials are made out there.”
He stated that the GSMA Terminal Steering Group supplies the take a look at specification (for subject trials in terrestrial networks being utilized in GCF certification. That spec is “consistently evolving” and already on model 43, Pedraz famous, nevertheless it doesn’t but help subject trials for NTN connectivity, that are being developed. “The main focus is ready on the definition of NTN-IoT take a look at circumstances (for each GEO and LEO), and subject trials are a key space,” Pedraz wrote.
“Whereas a method ahead to check actual implementations is fascinating, there are a variety of challenges to beat,” he continued. “This consists of technical points as a result of motion of satellites and the nice distance from gadgets beneath take a look at, similar to Doppler shift, Faraday rotation, and excessive attenuation. However as well as, there are additionally doubtless points as a result of low availability of satellite tv for pc networks and the density of satellites, in addition to restricted entry to GCF RTOs (Recognised Take a look at Organisations) to subscriptions, take a look at spots, and details about constellations.”
In different take a look at information:
–Anritsu is getting in on NTN testing for Skylo‘s community, asserting this week that it’s collaborating with Skylo on take a look at help for system, module and chipset makers to have the ability to assess product compatibility with and efficiency on Skylo’s community. Anritsu stated that will probably be supporting plenty of take a look at areas, together with system RF parametrics, Over-The-Air (OTA), Efficiency, Protocol Conformance, and RF Conformance exams.
Certification testing for Skylo’s NTN community has beforehand been introduced by Keysight Applied sciences and Rohde & Schwarz.
-The Digital Communications Workplace of Iceland (ECOI) tapped Rohde & Schwarz to check the efficiency, protection and capability of the nation’s three cellular community operators, primarily based on the Community Efficiency Rating (NPS) 2.0 customary from the European Telecommunications Requirements Institute (ETSI).
“ECOI is without doubt one of the first regulatory authorities in Europe to depend on the NPS for such a large-scale community benchmarking marketing campaign,” R&S famous, happening to say, “NPS model 2.0 applies tougher thresholds and complex weighting, particularly for developed networks dominated by 5G expertise, as is the case in Iceland.”
The five-week benchmarking marketing campaign came about in September and October of 2023, and Rohde stated that it concerned round 9,000 kilometers of drive-testing in Iceland’s massive cities, small cities and rural roads, in areas masking roughly 90% of the nation’s inhabitants. Protection and community high quality inside procuring malls have been additionally examined.
The take a look at marketing campaign encompassed greater than 17,000 calls and greater than 160,000 knowledge exams, together with application-level exams for 90-second voice calls, eGaming purposes, on-line conferences and video chats, in response to Rohde & Schwarz.
“The benchmark measurements confirmed that each one three cellular networks in Iceland; Síminn, Nova and Vodafone scored over 700 factors (out of 1000), making them on par with different cellular networks in Europe,” the take a look at firm stated. “All three networks have superb 5G protection in cities and cities and wonderful 4G protection nationwide. Each voice and knowledge providers are dependable, however there may be nonetheless room for enchancment.”
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