[Editor's Note] As the next-generation communications era begins, it is necessary to build infrastructure capable of testing and verifying 5G-Advance/6G technologies. Accordingly, the Korea Radio Promotion Association and Anritsu have collaborated to build a verification environment for next-generation communications technologies. Anritsu and the Korea Radio Promotion Association (hereinafter referred to as RAPA) have agreed to cooperate in verifying technologies for 5G-A/6G, the next-generation communications standards.

To learn more about the RAPA-Anritsu collaboration that is driving next-generation communications technology and industrial development, we met with Park Se-ho, Director of the RAPA IoT Technology Support Center, and Lim Hyeon-muk, Deputy Manager of Anritsu Corporation’s Technology Support Division, to discuss their collaboration with Anritsu.

■ Background and challenges of cooperation

The 5G-A/6G era heralds groundbreaking advancements in communications technology. Various innovations are expected, such as enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable ultra-low latency, large-scale machine-type communication, connectivity with communications satellites, and cyber-physical convergence.

To realize these key requirements, securing new frequency bands is essential. For this reason, the utilization of FR3 and sub-THz bands is being proposed. FR3 combines the advantages of existing 5G FR1 and FR2 to provide a wider bandwidth than FR1, while having superior radio characteristics compared to FR2 to secure wider coverage.

In order to support technological innovation, it was urgent to establish an environment that could verify 5G-A/6G technology. As a key organization leading the development of the radio industry, RAPA needs to take the lead in creating an environment that can efficiently verify 5G-A/6G technology domestically.

In order to carry out such an important task of verifying next-generation communication technology, a cooperative partner with expertise and resources is needed. This is because there was a need to go beyond simply building a test bed and establish a comprehensive cooperative relationship for the development of future communication technology.

■ Factors that led to choosing Anritsu as a partner

Anritsu is recognized as a leading provider of test solutions in the wireless and wired communications field. One of the important factors in selecting Anritsu as a RAPA cooperation partner is Anritsu’s reliability and accuracy. RAPA has been conducting various wireless communication performance verifications using Anritsu’s test solutions, and has a high evaluation of the accuracy and reliability of the verification results.

I was also satisfied with Anritsu's prompt and professional technical support. This is a very important factor in establishing and operating a new technology verification test environment.

Lastly, Anritsu has a clear vision and roadmap for the advancement of 5G-A/6G technology. We decided to pursue cooperation because we believe that its global presence and diverse project experience will provide clear insights into the advancement of 5G-A/6G technology in Korea.

■ Collaboration between RAPA and Anritsu

RAPA has opened the 'Anritsu 5G-Advanced & 6G Test Lab' in Songdo, Incheon, which can verify 5G-A/6G fields. This facility is equipped with the latest RF and wireless communication solutions for 5G-A/6G fields, enabling efficient development and verification of development technologies by domestic companies and research institutes. The plan is to gradually expand this facility in line with future technological advancements and industrial needs.

The Anritsu 5G-Advanced & 6G Test Lab is expected to become a key infrastructure for the advancement of next-generation communications technology. The test lab will enable companies to precisely verify and improve various wireless performances of 5G-A/6G devices using Anritsu’s latest test solutions. This will lead to improved product quality and reliability.

We plan to focus on providing a comprehensive verification environment and activating the entire industry by verifying candidate frequency band technologies for 5G-A/6G and FR3 so that related companies can quickly enter the market.

■ Prospects and Vision for Cooperation

This technical collaboration will serve as an opportunity for RAPA and Anritsu to strengthen their leadership in the 5G-A/6G field. Based on RAPA's verification infrastructure, we expect to lead the Korean 6G industry activation and mobile communication technology development by providing a verification environment and development verification in the future 5G-A/6G fields.

In addition, RAPA hopes that this technical collaboration with Anritsu will serve as a model case for other domestic and international regions. Anritsu has been developing wireless communication test solutions since the 3G/4G era, and has been developing technologies with partners in R&D, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.

Through collaboration with industry leader RAPA, Anritsu aims to become a highly reliable test solution provider in the next-generation communications field, one of Korea’s national strategic technologies, and expects to contribute to industry vitalization.

■ Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A

MT8000A is a 5G call simulator that supports the network option environment of EN-DC/NR-DC. As a radio communication test station, MT8000A provides excellent tests across RF, Protocol, and certification, so it is widely used in the development and verification of communication products in all industries, as well as certification tests. We support and develop solutions in collaboration with various companies, including communication chipset manufacturers.