5G NR Testi — 3GPP TS 38.521 / EN 301 908 / GCF–PTCRB

What Is 5G?

5G NR radio testing is a group of experiments in which the device is measured in the FR1 (sub-6 GHz) and, where applicable, FR2 (millimeter wave) bands in terms of transmitter and receiver requirements defined in the 3GPP TS 38.521 series. FR2 measurements are made over-the-air (OTA).

Purpose of 5G

The aim is to verify that the 5G device exhibits network-compatible power, spectrum and receiver performance and complies with radio legislation.

Which Products Is 5G Applied To?

5G modules and smartphones
Fixed wireless access (FWA) devices
Industrial 5G routers
In-vehicle connection units

In Which Sectors Is 5G Used?

TelecommunicationsElectronicsSoftwareCyber Security

Standards Related to 5G

3GPP TS 38.521-1 (FR1)
3GPP TS 38.521-2 (FR2)
3GPP TS 38.521-3
EN 301 908 serisi
GCF and PTCRB test plans

5G Conditions

Frequency ranges: FR1 sub-6 GHz wired measurement; FR2 millimeter wave over-the-air (OTA) measurement
Transmitter measurements: Maximum output power, EIRP/TRP (FR2), ACLR, spectrum emission mask, spam
Receiver measurements: Reference sensitivity, selectivity, blocking; EIS in FR2
Kipler: Independent (SA) and non-independent (NSA) study

Equipment for 5G

5G NR network emulator
Wired RF test pattern (FR1)
OTA millimeter wave measuring chamber and positioner (FR2)
channel emulator

Sample Requirements for 5G

The device must support test mode and test SIM
Declared bands, power class and SA/NSA modes must be documented
Antenna module locations must be defined for FR2
Final production software must be used

Duration of 5G

Typically 4–10 weeks depending on the number of bands and modes.

5G Procedure

1Band list, power class and operating modes are declared.
2FR1 measurements are made in a wired setup.
3FR2 measurements are made as EIRP/TRP in the OTA room.
4Receiver performance is measured.
5Unwanted publications are scanned.
6Results are compared to 3GPP limits.

5G Acceptance Criteria

The acceptance criteria are the limit values in the 3GPP TS 38.521 series and the requirements of the compatible standard for market placement.

Evaluation of Results

FR2 measurements cannot be made using the wired method; Due to beam-steering antenna arrays, over-the-air quantities such as EIRP, TRP and EIS are used. FR1 results do not apply to FR2.

5G Report

Declared bands, modes and power class
Applied specification versions
FR1 and FR2 measurement results
OTA measurement setup and calibration
Measurement uncertainty

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU (RED)
Operator acceptance programs (GCF, PTCRB)

RF and Wireless Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the 5G test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

RF and wireless testing shows that a device containing a radio uses the spectrum correctly and operates within the limits the relevant legislation allows. This family is a separate body of work from EMC: EMC addresses unwanted interference, whereas here INTENTIONAL emission is assessed.

Spectrum is a public and limited resource, and this determines the legal character of the field. A device spilling outside its permitted band or emitting excess power is not merely a technical defect but a violation that disrupts someone else's service. Radio conformity is therefore policed more strictly than other test fields and markets maintain their own national regimes.

Measurements run separately on the transmitter and receiver sides. On the transmitter side, output power, occupied bandwidth, frequency error, unwanted emissions, adjacent channel power and the power envelope are measured. On the receiver side, sensitivity, selectivity, blocking and spurious response rejection are assessed. The receiver side is often neglected, but in some bands it is a regulatory requirement.

Access protocol specific behaviours are a third axis: listen before talk (LBT), duty cycle, dynamic frequency selection (DFS) and transmit power control (TPC). These mechanisms enable spectrum sharing and it must be shown that they work correctly.

HUMAN EXPOSURE is the fourth axis and one of the most commercially critical. For devices used close to the body, SAR (specific absorption rate) is measured; for devices used at a distance, a field strength assessment is made. Limits and measurement methods vary by market; the same device is assessed separately for Europe and the United States.

Market regimes are decisive in this family and do not substitute for one another: the Radio Equipment Directive and ETSI harmonised standards in Europe, FCC authorisation in the United States (through a TCB for intentional radiators), ISED in Canada, MIC in Japan, KC in South Korea and SRRC in China each carry their own set of requirements. The same device requires a separate file for each market, and some markets impose a local representative or local testing requirement.

Module integration is the subject that raises the most questions in the field. Using a certified radio module does not automatically make the device compliant. A module certificate is valid for a defined antenna, a defined supply and defined conditions of use; if the antenna changes, the layout changes or the module is operated at a different power level, reassessment is required.

The presence of several radios in the same device (Wi-Fi + Bluetooth + cellular + NFC) gives rise to a simultaneous transmission assessment: SAR and unwanted emission measurements are made for the worst case in which the radios operate together.

Method groups in this field

Transmitter measurements
Output power, occupied bandwidth, frequency error, unwanted emissions, adjacent channel power, power spectral density.
Receiver measurements
Sensitivity, selectivity, blocking, spurious response rejection.
Spectrum sharing mechanisms
Verification of listen before talk, duty cycle, dynamic frequency selection and transmit power control.
Human exposure
SAR measurement (handheld and body-worn devices), field strength assessment, multi-radio scenarios.
Protocol conformity
Cellular network conformity testing, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi certification testing, GNSS performance.
Antenna measurements
Gain, radiation pattern, efficiency and total radiated power (TRP) measurements.

Commonly confused in this field

Using a certified module does not automatically make the device compliant; if the antenna, layout or power level changes, reassessment is required.
An FCC file does not replace a CE file; each market operates its own regime.
Receiver side measurements are a regulatory requirement in some bands; measuring only the transmitter produces an incomplete file.
SAR limits and measurement methods differ by market; a result in one market does not carry over to another.
For devices carrying several radios the simultaneous transmission scenario must be assessed; measuring them individually is not sufficient.
Some markets impose local testing or a local representative requirement; technical conformity alone does not secure market access.

Which decisions these results support

Market access under radio equipment legislation
Verification of the antenna and RF front end design
SAR and RF exposure conformity
Verification of module integration and the scope of reassessment
Determining the worst case in multi-radio scenarios

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About 5G

Why can't FR2 tests be done wired?

FR2 devices use beam-steering antenna arrays, and the antenna and receiver circuitry are integrated. Therefore, measurements are made in the air and the results are given as radiated quantities such as EIRP, TRP or EIS.