At the 104th Plenary Meeting of 3GPP RAN held in Shanghai from June 17 to 20, 2024, the R18 standard project of "NR User Equipment Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) Air Interface (OTA) Test Methods and Performance Requirements Enhancement" led by the Thiel Terminal Laboratory of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (hereinafter referred to as "CAICT") was approved and completed, successfully completed the R18 version evolution of the international standard 3GPP TS38.151, and output the technical report 3GPP TR38.761. This marks the introduction of the "complete version" of the MIMO OTA performance requirements standard for 5G Sub-6GHz and millimeter wave bands, and the industry has made a new breakthrough in the field of 5G terminal test standardization.

The air interface test of mobile terminals is currently the mainstream test method to measure and evaluate the transmission and reception performance of the whole machine through the air interface mode, and its performance indicators directly affect the stable connection of the network, the data transmission rate and the user experience. MIMO OTA test simulates the real multipath fading channel conditions in the experimental environment, which is an effective method to measure and verify the actual communication performance of the terminal. This R18 standard project further improves and enhances the MIMO OTA test methods and performance requirements of 5G terminals, covering 5G FR1 and FR2 frequency bands, which will effectively guide the industry to carry out the measurement and verification of terminal MIMO OTA performance through repeatable and debuggable standardized means, ensure the communication quality and user experience of 5G and 5G-A terminals in the real network environment, and support the high-quality development of the mobile communication industry.

The CTTL Terminal Labs of the Chinese Academy of Information and Communications Technology has been deeply involved in the drafting and formulation of 3GPP terminal test specifications for decades, and is one of the most internationally influential members in this field. In the 5G NR stage, the Thiel terminal laboratory gave full play to its advantages in technology accumulation and innovation, worked closely with industry experts at home and abroad, and led the completion of a number of standards as a reporter and co-rapporteur, and led the formulation of the world's first 5G terminal test method research standard TR38.810, 5G terminal multi-antenna performance test method standard TR38.827, the world's first 5G terminal air interface performance standard TS38.151, and 5G terminal multi-antenna performance consistency test standard TS38.551.

In the 3GPP R18 phase, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, as the leading unit, successfully completed the NR MIMO OTA test method and performance requirements enhancement standard project, and won extensive support and participation from global operators, terminal equipment manufacturers, chip manufacturers, instrumentation manufacturers, test system integrators and test laboratories, which lasted 21 months, received more than 260 standard proposals, and successfully organized a global laboratory comparison between the sub-1GHz and millimeter wave frequency bands, based on large-scale industry test data. For the first time in the world, the MIMO OTA performance requirements for 5G terminals in the "700MHz golden band" and 28GHz frequency bands have been formulated. Zhu Siting and Yi Xuan of CTTL Terminal Labs, as project rapporteurs and topic hosts, are responsible for the overall implementation of the project and the formulation of standards, contributing nearly 100 manuscripts, promoting Thiel Terminal Lab to become a 5G full-band reference laboratory recognized by 3GPP, and providing key experimental support for the formulation of terminal performance test methods and indicators.

In March 2024, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) successfully established the R19 phase 5G terminal OTA test standard project as a co-rapporteur to further carry out standardized research on dynamic MIMO OTA, XR and NTN terminal equipment test methods. CTTL Terminal Labs will continue to devote itself to the research and standardization of terminal testing technology, provide one-stop inspection and testing services, and work with global partners to jointly promote the high-quality development of the new generation of information industry.