With DSS, operators can allocate portions of the 4G LTE spectrum that they are already using to 5G NR allowing users to simultaneously coexist in the same frequency band. Last month, the first wave of handsets with new Qualcomm X55 5G modem and Exynos 990 chipsets supporting DSS arrived in the market.
Initially launched in April 2019, DSS was part of the 3GPP release and has been implemented by Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and ZTE through a software upgrade.
“DSS offers a simple way for mobile service providers to bring new 5G users on board gradually to match their adoption models—while continuing to support legacy 4G customers,” said Jose Duarte, CEO for Infovista.
“In the past, when operators wanted to upgrade to a new technology, they would have to do Spectrum Re-farming, moving old users off a part of the spectrum and reserving the block for new users—even if they were limited in number. DSS instead offers an easier transition but there is still a need for testing to ensure the process is seamless.”
An analysis of the TEMS upgrades highlights a broad geographic spread of DSS testing underway across 56 countries led by the US, Germany, UK, and the UAE region.
Infovista is offering its DSS testing capability as a ‘free upgrade on request’ to all TEMS Investigation 21.0 customers, with Duarte sharing that as many as 70% of the 5G companies Infovista works with with worldwide, are now evaluating DSS within their networks.
Last year, Infovista became the first network operators to demonstrate DSS testing and has since continued to develop the solution to be compatible with more vendor infrastructure.
“This is a key point as most operators have a mix of manufacturers across their infrastructure and having unified testing, planning and optimisation tools is a significant benefit in simplifying 5G deployment,” Duarte explained.
The Infovista TEMS Portfolio supports all the major smartphones that have DSS compatibility, and this feature will extend to the upcoming 7.4 release of Infovista Planet radio planning and optimisation solutions scheduled for launch mid-year.
