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The TM500 from Aeroflex now supports the 3GPP W-CDMA Release 8 Dual Cell HSDPA (DC-HSDPA) feature. DC-HSDPA extends the resource utilization and spectrum efficiency of existing W-CDMA networks by providing an alternative method to HSPA+ to increase peak data rates in the downlink to a maximum of 42 Mbits/s. The standard achieves this rate by enabling handsets to take advantage of two adjacent 5-MHz channels on the same Node B simultaneously to create 10-MHz downlink bandwidth.

The TM500 from Aeroflex now supports the 3GPP W-CDMA Release 8 Dual Cell HSDPA (DC-HSDPA) feature. DC-HSDPA extends the resource utilization and spectrum efficiency of existing W-CDMA networks by providing an alternative method to HSPA+ to increase peak data rates in the downlink to a maximum of 42 Mbits/s.

Unlike HSPA+, DC-HSDPA delivers its 42-Mbit/s peak data rate without the need for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) spatial multiplexing and the associated, potentially costly basestation (Node B) hardware and antenna upgrades. As a result, DC-HSDPA facilitates improved network efficiency and load balancing through better resource allocation and frequency selectivity while improving quality of service (QoS) for users in poor environments where MIMO isn’t necessarily an option.

From HSDPA through HSUPA and from HSPA+ to Long-Term Evolution (LTE), the TM500 offers all the capabilities of a mobile terminal with advanced test functionality for comprehensive 3GPP verification, validation, and optimization. It provides low-level handset user-equipment (UE) control and configuration flexibility, combined with the detailed measurement data that infrastructure engineers require to rapidly diagnose engineering issues.

Testing a single basestation against a single mobile isn’t sufficient, though. Scheduling algorithms need to be optimized, and the basestation needs to be load tested. The TM500 not only enables designers to test a basestation and network against a single mobile both in the lab and over the air, it also supports multi-UE configurations enabling basestation and core network designs to be load tested, stressed, and optimized to ensure robust, flexible, and high-performance solutions for network operators.