Keysight Technologies and Nokia Bell Labs join forces to accelerate 5G-Advanced and 6G communications research

Nokia Selects Keysight Technologies' Sub-THz Test Bench to Validate D-Band and E-Band RFIC Technologies

Keysight Technologies recently announced that Nokia Bell Labs has selected the company's sub-THz test bench to verify the performance of 5G-Advanced and 6G transceiver (TRX) modules. Tested modules such as power amplifiers, transceivers and glass substrate antennas usually use radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) technology. In accordance with the requirements of 5G-Advanced and 6G technologies, these devices under test need to support extreme data throughput and reliable backhaul transmission. Keysight provides advanced design and verification solutions aimed at accelerating innovation and creating a secure and connected world.

Nokia has chosen Keysight’s technology to drive research and development, which is critical to supporting 5G-Advanced and 6G use cases. Such scenarios will use millimeter wave (mmWave) and sub-terahertz spectrum to wirelessly transmit large amounts of data over short distances. Keysight’s 6G testbed can verify the performance of TRX modules, power amplifiers, and antennas under both linear and nonlinear conditions. Nokia designed these network infrastructure components using complex modulation techniques in the D-band (110 GHz to 170 GHz) and E-band (60 GHz to 90 GHz).

Nokia Bell Labs and Keysight Technologies have joined forces to create advanced semiconductor methods and new technologies to support 6G: including improved amplifier power and noise performance, advanced data conversion techniques, and improved energy efficiency. The two companies have worked together to expand their technical capabilities and successfully achieve a secure and seamless end-user experience through networks using a variety of connectivity solutions.

Keysight's signal generation and analysis tools combined with vector signal analysis software and over-the-air measurement expertise enable transceiver, front-end module and antenna designers to generate and measure wideband signals with exceptional fidelity.

Keysight Technologies and Nokia jointly demonstrated the 6G testbed and Nokia's RFIC and Radio-on-Glass technologies at the 2022 Brooklyn 6G Summit (B6GS). The demonstration fully demonstrated the performance of the 6G testbed when evaluating single components or cascaded components in an end-to-end system. The testbed consists of integrated software and hardware, which can quickly modify the parameters and configuration of the waveforms used, allowing Nokia to evaluate the performance of RFIC designs in many 6G-related use cases.

"We are making significant progress in developing the next generation of wireless technology through our collaboration with Keysight," said Peter Vetter, president of Core Research at Nokia Bell Labs. "Cross-industry collaboration is invaluable in developing new technologies that combine the best of the physical, digital and human to create immersive experiences that enable a wide range of interactions."

"Keysight is pleased to collaborate with Nokia Bell Labs to advance wireless communications and accelerate the development of sub-terahertz frequency metrology standards," said Giampaolo Tardioli, vice president of 6G and Next Generation Technologies at Keysight Technologies. "Our collaboration with Nokia covers multiple areas with the goal of delivering sustainable solutions that support the connectivity architectures based on 5G-Advanced and 6G communications."

"Keysight's design, verification and optimization solutions and measurement expertise enable Nokia Bell Labs to achieve the performance promised by many 6G use cases," said Shahriar Shahramian, head of RFIC and Packaging Lab at Nokia Bell Labs. "Keysight's 6G sub-THz testbed enabled Nokia to verify the error vector magnitude (EVM), which is a solid foundation for achieving high data throughput in TRX modules for higher-order modulation formats."