Anritsu has enhanced the functionality of its Signalling Tester MD8430A by introducing a protocol test solution for Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) devices for Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites. Following this upgrade, the MD8430A now supports NTN Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) technologies.
NTN NB-IoT is an IoT communication service designed for areas beyond the reach of terrestrial base stations, finding applications in sectors such as maritime shipping, logistics, mining, and automobiles. It facilitates the connection of a multitude of IoT devices to the network with low power consumption. The current specification adheres to 3GPP Release 17. Through this functional enhancement, Anritsu aims to elevate the quality of NTN devices and contribute towards the establishment of a flourishing network society.
Development Background: Historically, individual satellite operators have provided proprietary satellite communication services. However, with the standardisation of NTN communications in 3GPP Release 17, the satellite communication service market has experienced rapid expansion, necessitating various verifications according to the standard specifications. For GEO satellites, NTN device vendors require testing environments capable of simulating the communication delay across approximately 36,000 km between the satellite and device. Moreover, satellites must relay information across this distance to the device for delay compensation. To meet these testing requirements, Anritsu has developed a protocol test solution characterised by high reliability, drawn from testing experiences with market-leading customers, and high flexibility in condition setting.
Product Outline: The MD8430A is a base station simulator capable of constructing a simulated network essential for the development of chipsets and devices. Through its software option NTN NB-IoT (GEO) MD8430A-043 and its control software option NTN over IoT Framework for RTD MX800050A-070, the MD8430A can connect to an NTN device for GEO satellites. This enables testing of the connection with the NTN network and roaming between the terrestrial network and NTN network, among other functionalities.
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