Keysight Expands NR-NTN Device Certification Testing Following GCF Validations

Keysight Technologies has expanded its certification-ready testing portfolio for 5G NR Non-Terrestrial Networks, following approval of additional test cases at the Global Certification Forum's CAG #87 meeting.

The latest validations cover Radio Resource Management (RRM) requirements under GCF Work Item 555 and complement Keysight's existing RF and performance testing capabilities. According to the company, it now has 113 validated NR-NTN conformance test cases covering the 3GPP 38.521-5 and 38.533 specifications, based on the post-meeting validation status as of 23 July 2026.

The Release 17 tests use Keysight's wireless network emulation systems and are intended for chipset manufacturers, device makers, certification laboratories and mobile operators preparing NR-NTN devices for commercial direct-to-device satellite services. RRM testing is particularly important for verifying how devices discover, select and maintain connections as network conditions change, including the mobility and propagation characteristics associated with non-geostationary satellite systems.

Keysight is separately developing testing capabilities for 3GPP Releases 18 and 19, as NTN specifications continue to evolve towards higher performance and deeper integration with terrestrial 5G networks. These later standards are also expected to provide part of the technical foundation for satellite integration within future 6G systems.