Keysight Technologies and Ericsson jointly demonstrate Pre-6G network at IEEE International Communications Conference 2024

• Keysight Technologies and Ericsson demonstrate a Pre-6G network prototype at the 2024 IEEE International Communications Conference, using Ericsson's pre-standard protocol stack tailored for potential new spectrum, marking the first step in validating the 6G protocol stack
  

• Demonstration establishes a communication link between Ericsson base station test bed and Keysight user simulation equipment

  
  

Keysight Technologies and Ericsson have collaborated to create a proof of concept for a pre-standard 6G network, which will be demonstrated at the IEEE International Conference on Communications 2024. The 6G protocol stack prototype demonstration is on display at Ericsson's booth #318, using an Ericsson base station and a user emulation equipment (UEE) provided by Keysight Technologies.

Keysight Technologies and Ericsson jointly demonstrate Pre-6G network at IEEE International Communications Conference 2024

Exploration of new frequencies and available bandwidths for 6G wireless communication systems is ongoing. Using higher frequency spectrum requires overcoming several development challenges, including the well-known difficulty of attenuation and blockage encountered by signals during transmission at these frequencies. In addition, the current 5G protocol stack will need to be modified to support the larger bandwidths and higher carrier frequencies required for 6G applications, which have not yet been tested or deployed in the real world.

The demonstration, based on Ericsson's pre-standard 6G prototype and tailored for the new frequency band, marks the first step towards validating the 6G protocol stack. The modified 5G protocol stack was run in a real hardware environment consisting of a base station and end-user simulation device, and successfully established a communication link between the two. Starting with a simple digital interface, the two teams tested various aspects of the protocol at a wider bandwidth, showing the efficiency of the protocol stack.

Freddie Södergren, Vice President, Head of Technology & Strategy, Business Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “In these early stages of 6G development, our focus is on learning and exploring the transformative potential of future technologies. Exploring new frequency bands creates a collaborative environment where different players can come together to shape the contours of future connectivity and technology innovations, ensuring these advanced technologies are seamlessly and sustainably integrated into our connected world.”

Giampaolo Tardioli, vice president of 6G and Next Generation Technologies at Keysight Technologies , said: "By working closely with Ericsson throughout the development process, our two teams have been able to quickly establish a working link and demonstrate the viability of the technology. The learnings from this project are helping us ensure our solutions are 6G-capable and ready in time for our customers to be first to market."