The upgrade has been developed in swift response to an extension in December 2023 of the upper frequency for licensed bands operating on 5G Frequency Range 1 (FR1). Where previously licensed bands were below 6 GHz, 3GPP Release 17 has seen them increased to 7.125 GHz in order to facilitate the growing amount of mobile, wi-fi, and other wireless traffic operating across these bands.

The extension was agreed following consultations held at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) in Dubai. Prior to the conference, concerns had been expressed that cellular network activity could disrupt existing operations in the upper 6 GHz band, which was already primarily comprised of mobile traffic. An agreement was reached to assign the upper 6 GHz band to the licensed bands for 5G FR1.

Anritsu’s MT8000A wireless communication test station supports RF measurements, protocol tests and functional tests, supporting both the FR1 and FR2 bands used by 5G. The software upgrade ensures that the platform covers RF tests in the 6 GHz band, enabling countries to develop and deploy services using 6 GHz licensed bands.