ME7873LA, LTE-Advanced RF conformance system wins Cat-M1 certification
The ME7873LA LTE-Advanced RF conformance system from Anritsu now leads the industry with more than 70 test cases for frequency bands, says the company, following the awarding of the first Global Certification Forum (GCF) certification for the Cat-M1 radio frequency (RF) Conformance Test as part of Internet of Things (IoT) communications technology.
Many network operators have announced introduction of Cat-M1 and NB-IoT technologies, for use by mobile networks supporting the growth of the IoT. These technologies are based on the long term evolution (LTE) standards in 3GPP Release 13 defining the IoT low power wide area (LPWA) network technology supporting communications at low power over wide coverage areas.
Large North American network operators are starting to deploy Cat-M1 (from April 2017) and introductions in Japan, Europe and North America are expected during this calendar year. In addition, NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) has been announced for services in Europe, China and South Korea.
In the future, these IoT communications technologies are expected to see active adoption in various fields, including smart meters, home-security systems, lighting, freight tracking, vending machines and health care appliances. The GCF certification, means that the ME7873LA is the world leader with more than 70 test cases for frequency bands in Japan, North America, and Europe, claims Anritsu.
The ME7873LA is a test platform for verifying compliance of LTE/LTE-Advanced mobile-terminal RF TRx characteristics, performance with 3GPP standards. It is used by mobile operators worldwide, especially in North America and Asia, as an acceptance inspection test system.
Anritsu also expects the ME7873LA to lead GCF and the North America cellular operators’ certification, PTCRB, certification for NB-IoT alongside Cat-M1.
Anritsu continues to focus efforts on developing conformance test systems to assist further development and deployment of IoT technologies.
Anritsu’s test and measurement solutions include wireless, optical, microwave/RF and digital instruments, operations support systems and solutions, customised software solutions, that can be used during R&D, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Anritsu also provides precision microwave/RF components, optical devices, and high-speed devices for design into communication products and systems. The company also provides solutions for existing and next-generation wireline and wireless communication systems and service providers. Anritsu sells in over 90 countries worldwide with approximately 4,000 employees.
