How well do the carriers understand millimeter wave? In many cases the answer is not all that well, as the current live tests of these deployments have shown. To grow these new networks to maturity, the carriers and their contractors are going to have to do extensive physical layer testing and evaluation of the frequency coverage on the ground.

For this type of work there are a variety of tools on the market that can be used for walk and drive physical layer testing. Some criteria for evaluation of this gear should include the functionality, size, form factor/weight, and cost; not necessarily in that order.

The established players in this market offer fully featured toolsets that range from somewhat portable to quite uncomfortable and cost anywhere from $50k – $150k per set. This pricing isn’t unfair, considering the wide-ranging capabilities of these spectrum analyzers. Given the need for extensive physical layer testing, often requiring technicians to walk a sector, the form factor and cost of these toolsets is going to prove daunting.

Much of the functionality found in these tools will rarely, if ever, be used. Many of these kits require an operator to wear a large, heavy backpack or chest harness. For extensive testing, this is quite a physical demand on the operator. In urban settings the setup can draw a lot of attention ranging from curiosity to outright concern from bystanders. Lastly, if each kit costs $75k, the cost to equip 30 network engineers is over $2M!

To address this specific problem, SAF Tehnika developed a smartphone-sized 24 – 43 GHz spectrum analyzer.

Spectrum Compact packs all the essential features needed to perform physical layer testing. The original concept was designed specifically for tower work, so a lightweight, comfortable form factor was a key design consideration.

It powers up and is ready to measure in a matter of seconds. The analyzer works well in a variety of conditions, including extreme temperatures and rain. The onboard recording can retain hundreds of hours of data for post-processing analysis. The UI is intuitive and simple to learn. To top it all off, the tool and all the required accessories cost a fraction of what the other solutions do, enabling the carriers and their contractors to do more with their capital investment.

Spectrum Compact advantages

• Frequency ranges to cover low-band, mid-band, and mmWave base station deployment.

• Essential tool for real world signal propagation studies

• Designed for quick transmitter verification, interference detection, site survey

• Market leading receiver sensitivity

• Instant ON functionality with simple, intuitive controls

• Stand-alone tool, no external controller required

• Included PC software for post-measurement analysis and reporting

• World’s smallest mmWave spectrum analyzer designed specifically for comfortable outdoor use in a variety of challenging environments

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