ALifecom Showcased IoT-NTN And WiFi 7 Core Technologies At Tech Day 2024

RichWave, Astro Digital, and VIAVI Solutions were invited to participate in the event

ALifecom, the premier IP service and test solution provider for wireless communication in Taiwan hosted its Tech Day 2024 on 12^th of January. ALifecom invited RichWave, Astro Digital, and VIAVI Solutions as guest speakers to discuss topics of Non-Terrestrial Networks and WiFi 7 core technologies. Live demonstrations of ALifecom testing solutions were showcased during the event. A selected audience of key leaders and decision makers from the Taiwan communications industry were invited to the Tech Day.

Technical Challenges of 5G NTN: Delay, Attenuation, and Doppler Frequency Shift
The long term evolution from 5G to B5G and 6G will be the combination and optimization of terrestrial networks (TN) and non-terrestrial networks (NTN). In today's new space era, in response to the miniaturization and privatization trends of satellites, investment in space has sky-rocketed, and 5G NTN technology has become increasingly important. The application of different types of satellites such as LEO, MEO, and GEO with transparent and regenerative architectures poses many technical challenges.

Dr. David Chen, Chief Knowledge Officer of ALifecom, discussed that when verifying the User Terminal (UT), the key is to correctly emulate satellite channel conditions during R&D and production stage. The NTN channel emulator must be configured with accurate dynamic delay, dynamic attenuation, and Doppler frequency shift models to simulate the actual signal transmission conditions. Billy Wahng, Chief Technology Officer of Astro Digital, shared how to compensate for the Doppler frequency shift effect at both the device and satellite side through the design of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO satellite design is a trade-off between cost, coverage, and data rate. Johnson Tay, Business Development Lead of VIAVI Solutions, also shared insights into the applications and deployment challenges of NTN from the perspective of testing satellite communications, including using different UTs for large-scale testing to ensure communication performance, coverage, security, etc.

Focus on WiFi 7: Not only “high throughput” but intricate deployment scenarios involving high traffic and density.
WiFi 7 offers faster speeds, higher data rates, wider bandwidth, and lower latency in comparison to the existing WiFi 6. Its potential applications span across video streaming, AR/VR, and others. Beyond emphasizing high throughput, this technology is strategically crafted to accommodate higher load, increased density, and more complex application scenarios in the future.

Jeremy Yen, the Business Development Manager at ALifecom, delved into WiFi 7 standardization timeline, global frequency allocation, and technical aspects such as Multi-Link Operation, Multi-AP Coordination, Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, and Multi-Resource Unit. Dr. Shyh Chyi Wong, the Founder and President of RichWave, provided a comprehensive analysis of the WiFi 7 from the perspective of RF front-end. This included a detailed exploration of improving EVM, linearity, and how Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) will play a crucial role in energy efficiency optimization. Additionally, she advanced the discourse on the application, advantages, and disadvantages of linear and nonlinear PAs in this field.

ALifecom, the sole leading manufacturer in Asia with NTN and WiFi 7 solutions
Established in 2009, ALifecom is dedicated to advancing wireless communication technology. ALifecom possesses several fundamental patents and offers adaptable customized services. Alongside the expertise in 4G/5G mobile network testing, ALifecom has recently introduced and showcased IoT-NTN and WiFi 7 measurement solutions during Tech Day 2024.

The ALifecom IoT-NTN platform utilizes the NE6000 tester, and it is the only company within the industry that uniquely features a built-in channel emulator. Together with the user-friendly GUI and a protocol analyzer, it provides seamless debugging functions in satellite communications. The WiFi 7 tester, compliant with the latest 802.11be and legacy WiFi standards, delivers high throughput for the production line by integrating 8 RF ports for simultaneous testing. The solution offers flexible customization for specific use cases.

ALifecom also showcased 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) and Multi-DUT test solutions live demonstrations during the event. The 5G NSA testing scenario combines ALifecom NE6000 and NE7500 testers and supports FR1 and FR2 frequency bands, 4x4 MIMO up to 100 MHz bandwidth, making it ideal for development, production, and quality control needs. The Multi-DUT testing, employing the ALifecom NE7500 tester, enables real time simultaneous testing of 4 DUTs for both R&D and the production line and supports advanced communication phone-to-phone features.

ALifecom Tech Day 2024 focused on the themes of 5G NTN, WiFi 7, and mobile network testing. Distinguished speakers from various fields delved into these topics, offering in-depth insights and live demonstrations to foster communication and discussion on the latest advancements in wireless communications technology. The day fostered engaging discussions between old and new relations in the Taiwan communications industry.