Keysight and Ericsson Collaborate to Enable Pre-6G Interoperability Validation

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Keysight Technologies, Inc. and Ericsson have collaborated to troubleshoot and validate interoperability between an Ericsson pre-6G base station (gNB) and prototype pre-6G devices, using Keysight’s WaveJudge Wireless Analyzer Solutions. The work demonstrates full-stack pre-6G interoperability testing using real network infrastructure and devices, supporting early validation of emerging 6G concepts as standards development continues. The collaboration will be demonstrated live at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026.

As 6G standardization efforts begin, the industry increasingly needs to validate early implementations against evolving specifications. Pre-standard 6G systems are exploring new concepts such as cm-wave spectrum, wider channel bandwidths up to 400 MHz, massive Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) performance gains, and improved protocol efficiency. Interoperability testing between prototype base stations and devices is particularly complex due to differences in design choices and interpretations of draft standards, making it difficult to identify root causes of performance or signaling issues.

Keysight addresses these challenges with its WaveJudge Wireless Analyzer Solutions, which acts as an independent third-party solution to decode and analyze signaling from both the gNB and UE. WaveJudge highlights discrepancies between expected and actual behavior, enabling faster issue identification and resolution between vendors. The solution provides detailed multi-layer analysis and KPI insights, allowing engineers to evaluate link performance, verify advanced features, and quantify the benefits of emerging 6G technologies.

David Bjore, Vice President and Head of RAN Software & Compute Platforms, Business Area Networks, Ericsson, said: “Achieving interoperability is a key milestone for our 6G program. Our collaboration with Keysight has helped us resolve issues more efficiently and gain deeper insight into the performance of emerging 6G concepts.”

Lucas Hansen, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Devices, and Operators at Keysight, said: “Early validation is critical to advancing next-generation wireless. By working closely with Ericsson, we are enabling early exploration of new ideas alongside the standards development process. Keysight’s WaveJudge solutions help identify issues quickly and accelerate our customers’ path from research to real-world deployment.”