Certification involves multiple stages, including lab testing and field trials. Testing typically is conducted by each operator, the FCC, and by authorized third parties.
The PTCRB program was established in 1997 by major mobile operators to define test specifications and processes to ensure device interoperability. Figure 1 summarizes the steps in the PTCRB certification process.
Pre-certification identifies potential issues so they can be addressed before the product is submitted to PTCRB and to the FCC. This increases the likelihood of passing all of those certifications quickly and thus avoiding the time and expense of redesigns and resubmission. By avoiding certification delays, pre-certification helps OEMs, systems integrators, and other companies get their product to market faster — or even first to market, ahead of competitors.
Figure 2 illustrates the complexity of operator certifications and thus the value of partnering with an RF engineering specialist that has extensive experience with each operator’s unique requirements.
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and other U.S. operators set strict radio performance standards, with much of that performance relying heavily on the antenna, so its role cannot be underestimated. The performance targets for mobile operators are outlined below:
Frequency bands. For example, AT&T requires all 4G IoT devices to support LTE bands 2, 4, and 12 at a minimum, with bands 5, 14, 29, and 30 being highly desired. If it’s a 5G device, AT&T requires support for n2, n5, and n66, with n77 highly desired.
Number of antennas, which depends on the bands that the device uses and on the antenna system’s multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) order. For example, AT&T requires 5G devices to support 4x4 MIMO by default and won’t allow single-antenna implementations for NR FR1.
Impedance match and return loss, which measure how well RF energy is transferred between the module and antenna.
Total radiated power (TRP), which is a measure of all power that radiates from an antenna over a given band. Because cellular modules have a standardized maximum transmit power, antenna efficiency effectively determines TRP. Operators require a minimum TRP level for any device being approved for use on their networks.
Total isotropic sensitivity (TIS), which assesses the ability to maintain a connection when the signal is weak. Although TIS measures the receiver’s ability, the antenna plays a key role by maximizing the amount of signal that the module has to work with.
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