Metrological MIMO Testbeds for 5G Communications

Fifth generation (5G) mobile technology is planned for deployment in 2020. The definition of the 5G is in progress and anticipates the need to extend the operating frequencies and to support a significantly increased user density to meet its target specifications (millisecond latency, seamless connectivity, low energy consumption, and 1000 times the capacity of 4G). To ensure that the 5G vision is realised, new supporting metrology needs to be developed alongside product development. Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antennas have a significant role in 4G and 5G communications, both to increase system spectral efficiency and to increase energy efficiency. Through the collaboration of an European joint research project entitled “Metrology for 5G Communications (MET5G)” (see www.met5g.org), we have developed several new and employed existing MIMO testbeds that operate at sub-6GHz and mm-wave frequency bands for 5G communications evaluation. The development of testbed capabilities are important towards improvement of metrology for traceable MIMO system characterisations. In this workshop, work over evaluating and testing pre-5G waveforms generation with these testbeds for Over-The-Air (OTA) measurement will be presented.