Keysight, Orolia Advance 5G Location-based Services

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Keysight Technologies, Inc., a leading technology company that delivers advanced design and validation solutions to help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, and Orolia have joined forces to advance 5G location-based services (LBS) based on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technologies. 

Working with Orolia, a world leader in Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solutions, allows Keysight to extend its 5G device test solution portfolio with advanced global navigation satellite system (GNSS) simulation capabilities. As a result, existing users of Keysight's 5G device test solutions can easily address GNSS-related 3GPP protocol conformance and carrier acceptance test requirements by upgrading the software in Keysight's E7515B UXM 5G Wireless Test Platform and combining it with Orolia's GSG-8 simulator.

"Working with Orolia has enabled Keysight to deliver GNSS-based LBS test solutions for 5G protocol conformance and carrier acceptance validation," said Muthu Kumaran, general manager of Keysight's device validation solutions business. "Keysight's LBS solutions also support assisted global navigation satellite system (A-GNSS) test functionality, enabling users to comprehensively address 5G new radio (NR) conformance requirements mandated by both the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PTCRB."

Accurate positioning is important in a wide range of sectors including healthcare, road and aerial transportation, entertainment and homeland security. Future applications, such as drones and autonomous vehicles, will depend on highly precise positioning services for reliable navigation and safe transportation of people, and goods. Mobile operators use GNSS technologies and non-GNSS technologies, such as beamforming, angle-based positioning and round-trip time (RTT), to deliver personalized services and support emergency calls.

"We are pleased to collaborate with Keysight on developing solutions that improve PNT testing for 5G communication networks and devices," said Lisa Perdue, Orolia's Simulation Product Line Director. "Our GSG-8 simulator, powered by Orolia's Skydel Simulation Engine, offers ultra-high performance and unmatched flexibility. The easy-to-use software-defined platform also delivers superior jamming and spoofing options that can help ensure accurate, continuous operations for critical applications during interference or signal loss."

The efforts of Keysight and Orolia will enable chipset and device makers to verify functionality to accurately position mobile phone users within a geographic area. Orolia's automated and scalable GSG-8 GNSS simulator supports current GNSS constellations, including GPS, Galileo GLONASS and BeiDou, with upgrade paths to future constellations. Keysight offers in-built positioning capabilities in the UXM 5G wireless test platform for non-GNSS positioning test requirements.