Key 5G Test Factors: What is Signaling?
With previous 3G and even 4G (LTE) mobile systems, calling on a smartphone requires input of the phone number to be called, dialing that number, and answering by the called party, and the connection is cut when either phone is hung up. The handling of this sequence between the calling smartphone, the intervening base stations, and the called smartphone uses a communication procedure called signaling. As an example, information such as communications bandwidth, encoding method, etc is obtained by signaling between the actual smartphone (mobile phone) and base stations. This signaling (protocol) is specified by respective standards for previous 3G and 4G (LTE) systems.
And the 5G signaling specification is also standardized by 3GPP. In addition to having faster speeds, larger capacity, multiple connections, and lower latency, 5G requires much more complex signaling to support coexistence with 4G and previous systems. As a result, for the complex signaling vendors developing 5G chipsets, wireless communications modules, and terminals such as smartphones must need to further evaluate messages (whether notified normally) sent and received in data communication etc. during signaling, as well as RF signal (tests, measurements) during signaling.
Based on its experience in face-to-face consultations to help customers' engineering teams overcome difficulties in deploying 3G and 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), Anritsu has accumulated key strengths in various technologies and know-how, including signaling, protocol and RF measurement. Anritsu uses these strengths built over many years to offer customers optimized 5G measurement solutions supporting the fastest time to market (TTM).
