NIST Working on 5G Spectrum Test Bed for System Designers

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is developing a 5G spectrum sharing test bed that will measure the operational reliability of 5G, Wi-Fi, global positioning system and military radars without any interference from each other. The project, along with NIST’s other 5G connectivity measuring tools, will provide new spectrum sharing data, which the industry can then use to optimize 5G product design. The test bed is expected to clarify how different network settings and environments cause interference to 5G frequency bands and related channels, MeriTalk reported. NIST engineer Jason Coder said the 5G NIST test bed will promote the development of quantitative measurements of spectrum sharing or interference scenarios that are already deployed and under consideration. In addition, Kate Remley, NIST engineer and co-chair of the 5G mmWave Channel Model Alliance, commented that representative channel models allow system designers to develop reliable electronics that can perform in common environments.