Viavi Validates Nokia’s Massive MIMO Radio in Upper 6 GHz Band for 5G-Advanced and 6G

Viavi Solutions today announced that it has validated the over-the-air (OTA) performance of Nokia’s Massive MIMO radio operating in the upper 6 GHz spectrum range, a band that will add crucial capacity to existing cell sites to support 5G-Advanced and 6G networks.

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Addressing Spectrum Constraints

Viavi states that as mobile networks face increasing spectrum constraints, the upper 6 GHz band is set to provide an additional spectrum per operator. This allocation, agreed upon at the World Radio Conference 2023, will play a crucial role in enhancing network capacity and performance.

According to Nokia, operators will need to increase their TDD mid-band spectrum holdings during the second half of the decade. The allocation of the upper 6 GHz spectrum for mobile services, which means a possible 200 MHz of mid-band TDD spectrum per operator.

Nokia Otava Lab Trial

In a proof-of-concept trial at Nokia’s Otava lab in Oulu, Finland, Viavi tested the Nokia AirScale Habrok-based 128TRX Massive MIMO radio, configured within the n104 band (6425–7125 MHz). The testing leveraged Viavi’s NITRO Wireless test solution, including:

• TM500 Network Tester – for functional, system integration, and capacity testing of base stations.
• OneAdvisor 800 Spectrum Analyzer – for RF characterization, beamforming, and synchronization verification.

Key tests validated:

• Spectrum analysis and peak throughput for single and dual component carriers
• Performance and capacity assessments with hundreds of emulated user devices.

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This proof of concept builds on previous lab and field trials conducted by Nokia, confirming the feasibility of deploying the upper 6 GHz band for next-gen networks.

“As the industry continues to transition from 4G to 5G, and on to 5G-A and 6G, Viavi is ready to partner with network equipment manufacturers and operators at every stage,” said Manuel Mato, Regional Vice President, Europe Middle East and Africa, Viavi.