With 5G NR network rollout clearly on the horizon, network operators worldwide are planning pre-commercial network trials. The target is to overcome the challenge of a more demanding and complex air interface and deliver the commercial and technical benefits offered by 5G. In recent posts about 5G network measurements, we discussed the challenges of and the test solutions for some…

RF interference is one of the largest contributors to poor network performance. It manifests itself in dropped calls and low data throughput rates. When you invest in new bands to improve network performance and then get less than 50% of the expected performance improvement, it is time to tackle the problem head-on. In LTE, for every 10 dB less signal-to-interference-plus-noise…

There are various scores, as in scoring methods, claiming to measure the performance of mobile networks on the market. Some scores are based on plain technical metrics, others on quality of experience (QoE) measurements or surveys. Which score should a mobile network operator (MNO) choose? The one providing the highest score? The cheapest one? The one based on technical scores…

Quality of experience (QoE) is crucial for the success of mobile network operators because subscribers are increasingly sensitive to the perceived quality of applications in mobile networks. Operators will only grow their subscriber base if they can lure subscribers from competing operators by offering a better perceived QoE. In a recent webinar, we provocatively asked the question “Are you really…

Identifying NB-IoT carriers with a pure RF power scan is very difficult and sometimes impossible. After describing the benefits of NB-IoT MIB/SIB demodulation in the previous NB-IoT post, this post discusses the challenges in identifying NB-IoT carriers in the spectrum and offers solutions. The extended Automatic Channel Detection (ACD) feature finds and identifies NB-IoT carriers automatically and display the findings…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has vast applications in the telecom industry, from anomaly detection to network optimization and utilization; and AI could lead to various new revenue streams. Many telecom leaders believe that machine learning (ML) will be the key to derive and infer user behavior and expectations. It aims to increase the user’s quality of experience (QoE) and reduce customer…

The urban RF environment is very demanding – densely packed with a myriad of cellular and non-cellular transmitters, full of interfering emitters and populated with buildings inconveniently located between you and the signal you are trying to find. In this situation, it pays to know the merits of different interference hunting techniques and the advantages of using expert equipment. Anyone…

3GPP Release 15 specifies the initial 5G standardization framework of the radio access network called 5G New Radio (5G NR). The standard contains a high degree of flexibility in radio parameters, which complicates network measurements. However, Rohde & Schwarz has already conducted measurements in pre-commercial 5G NR trial networks with our commercially available 5G NR network measurement solution. We gained…

Signals Research Group trusts the prototype measurement system designed by Rohde & Schwarz to meet the aggressive timeline of early 5G adopters. The US-based research consultancy used the R&S®TSMA autonomous drive test scanner for their independent 5G test network benchmark study to collect downlink performance metrics for the Beam Reference Signals (BRS), including RSRP, CINR, RSRQ, PCI, etc., of 28 GHz…