VIAVI Solutions, a global leader in network testing and assurance, has successfully validated the over-the-air (OTA) performance of Nokia’s Massive MIMO radio operating in the upper 6 GHz frequency range. This breakthrough confirms the Time Division Duplex (TDD) mid-band spectrum’s potential to enhance 5G-Advanced and 6G networks, improving capacity, coverage, and efficiency for next-generation mobile services.
As 5G demand surges, operators are expanding into new frequency bands to overcome spectrum congestion. The World Radio Conference 2023 allocated the upper 6 GHz band (6425–7125 MHz) for mobile services, granting operators access to up to 200 MHz of additional mid-band TDD spectrum. This allocation is critical for maintaining network scalability and high-speed performance. Nokia predicts that by the latter half of the decade, TDD mid-band spectrum will be essential for sustaining 5G-Advanced and early 6G deployments.
To evaluate its real-world viability, Nokia and VIAVI established a proof of concept at Nokia’s Otava lab in Oulu, Finland, featuring Nokia’s 128TRX Massive MIMO radio, built on the AirScale Habrok platform, and configured within the upper n104 band. VIAVI deployed its NITRO® Wireless test solutions, including the TM500 Network Tester, an industry-standard platform for functional, system integration, and performance testing of base stations, and the OneAdvisor 800 Spectrum and Signal Analyzer, used to verify TDD synchronization, beamforming, RF characterization, and overall radio transmission performance.
The test cases successfully validated spectrum analysis, peak throughput for both single and dual carrier aggregation (1CC and 2CC), and network capacity using hundreds of simulated user devices (UEs) with real-world traffic applications. These results confirm that Nokia’s Massive MIMO technology in the upper 6 GHz TDD spectrum is capable of delivering high-capacity, efficient network performance, paving the way for future mobile services, including connected industries, smart cities, and autonomous systems.
“VIAVI is honored to support this significant milestone in wireless technology,” said Manuel Mato, Regional VP, EMEA, VIAVI. “As the industry evolves from 4G to 5G and beyond, we are committed to empowering network operators with cutting-edge testing solutions that validate real-world performance.”
This successful validation reinforces the upper 6 GHz band’s role as a critical enabler for 5G-Advanced and 6G networks. With TDD-based mid-band spectrum delivering improved efficiency, higher capacity, and seamless network performance, VIAVI and Nokia are helping shape the future of wireless connectivity.