- Anritsu, in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, has announced the validation and support of uplink data compression (UDC) test cases compliant with Release 17 of the 3GPP RAN5 standard.
- The validation tests were conducted using Anritsu’s ME7834NR Series 5G NR mobile terminal test platform and the Qualcomm X105 5G RF modem system.
The steady increase in mobile data traffic is driving the development of mechanisms to optimize network spectral efficiency, particularly for the uplink. Uplink transmissions incorporate a significant amount of protocol overhead, which includes transport layer and IP protocol headers. While traditional mechanisms like Robust Header Compression (ROHC) already address this issue, 3GPP Release 17 introduces Unified Data Control (UDC) to further reduce redundant data.
UDC operates directly on the user endpoint (UE) side before radio transmission. This protocol reduces the overall volume of data transmitted when redundancy exists, thereby increasing the user’s usable throughput, particularly for traffic types that are neither compressed nor encrypted upstream.
Standardization and Test Case Structure
The compliance tests associated with this feature are defined by 3GPP in Technical Document TS 38.523-1 and align with the fundamental requirements of the TS 38.323 specification. Anritsu submitted these test cases to 3GPP Radio Access Network Working Group 5 (RAN WG5), and they are now listed on the standards body’s official portal. The technical objective of this release is to allow operators and terminal manufacturers to verify the interoperability and compliance of UDC functions before commercial deployment.
Features of the ME7834NR Series Test Platform
The Anritsu platform used for these validations, registered as Test Platform 251 with the GCF and PTCRB, is dedicated to Protocol Conformance Testing (PCT) and Operator Acceptance Testing (CAT).
- Supported Technologies: The system manages devices integrating multiple radio access technologies, including 5G NR in standalone and non-standalone modes, as well as LTE, LTE-Advanced, LTE-A Pro, W-CDMA, and non-terrestrial networks (NTN).
- Frequency Ranges: Combined with the MA8171A series over-the-air (OTA) test chamber and the manufacturer’s RF converters, the platform covers the 5G NR frequency bands, including sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies.
