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5G testing in a telecom provider’s lab for interoperability purpose

Posted on July 26, 2025July 26, 2025 by debra

The increasing demand for 5G connectivity necessitates robust interoperability testing across diverse base station equipment within telecom laboratories. RFOptic’s RF over Fiber (RFoF) solutions offer a superior approach to traditional coaxial infrastructure, enabling efficient and effective 5G testing.

The challenge

A leading telecommunications provider was looking for an RFoF solution to conduct 5G interoperability testing in its European labs. The existing RF switches and coaxial cable setups imposed significant constraints on frequency ranges and distances required for thorough 5G testing. This limited the ability of the telco to validate equipment from multiple providers effectively.

Testing RFOptic’s bidirectional solution

To address these challenges, the telco tested RFOptic’s bidirectional solution for several weeks. The telco wanted to test this solution, since RFOptic bidirectional systems serve a critical role in interfacing various types of equipment across different labs, facilitated by the integrated optical switch.

RFOptic’s bidirectional modules are designed for applications where an uplink as well as a downlink are required such as Transmit/Receive antenna interfaces. In such a case, applications require a single fiber solution utilizing WDM method. The programmable bidirectional RF over Fiber (RFoF) units are especially suitable for remote antennas communication, Satcom, 4G LTE, and broadable bidirectional RF over Fiber (RFoF) units are especially suitable for remote antennas communication, Satcom, 4G LTE, and broadcast.

Key features include:

Frequency 1MHz -4GHz
Utilizes WDM technology
Better linearity, excellent gain flatness, and Tx, Rx and Link gain control
Noise figure down to 6 dB with LNA
Internal microcontroller allows RF and Optical control enabled by software
End-to-end diagnostics reduce installation and maintenance time, enabled by software
Gain control; S21(f) typical of ±1 dB for 90°C variation, utilizing special algorithm
Remote management by GUI on PC
Impedances of 50 Ohms and 75 Ohm
An SNMP remote management can be added

The result

After performing a comprehensive range of tests to evaluate RFOptic’s performance capabilities, the telco concluded that RFOptic’s system was meeting the stringent requirements necessary for 5G testing. The telco opted to purchase RFOptic’s HD 4GHz system, which features the capacity to support up to 20 bidirectional links across five modular drawers. This selection was driven by the system’s exceptional performance, compact design, and innovative management and monitoring capabilities, which significantly reduce operational expenditures (OPEX) and integration time.

RFOptic bidirectional solution also act as a technology demo system, showing other departments within the telco the capabilities and advantages of the RFoF solution for advanced testing scenarios..

Conclusion

This case study underscores the escalating demand for RFoF solutions in 5G testing subsystems, especially where conventional RF routing approaches prove impractical due to distance and frequency constraints. RFOptic’s RF over Fiber solutions provide telecom labs with an effective tool for conducting comprehensive 5G interoperability tests. By replacing outdated coaxial infrastructure with cutting-edge RFoF technology, telecom operators can enhance testing capabilities, improve operational efficiency, and support the increased adoption of 5G networks.

Everything you need to know about RFOptic ’s RFoF management system enhancements

Posted on March 18, 2025July 9, 2025 by admin

As a technology-driven company, RFOptic enhances its offerings to incorporate the latest tech trends and to respond quickly to shifting market demands. One of our flagship offerings is our RF over Fiber (RFoF) management system, which provides increased security, automated control, and expanded scalability for complex network deployments. Our M&C manages, monitors, and controls all types of RFoF products with optional management over fiber (IFL). We launched it to meet the need of customers to manage their many units remotely (e.g., in highway tunnels, satcom applications, etc.). The SNMP/HTML capability allows system integrators, operators, and control center staff to monitor and manage their RFOptic systems remotely, including changing parameters.

On top of the existing features, the following three enhancements were made:

HTTPS Encryption
All communication between the web server and the browser is now secured with HTTPS, protecting sensitive data and RFoF infrastructure from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
Automatic Level Control (ALC)
ALC simplifies signal level management by automatically adjusting gain settings to maintain optimal signal quality. This eliminates the need for manual intervention and ensures consistent performance.
128 Module Support
The 128-module support scales the customer’s RFoF network efficiently with support for up to 128 modules, enabling the management of larger and more complex deployments.

As mentioned above, the enhancements are built on top of the M&C’s well-known features, including:

Remote Management (SNMP/HTML), which allows our customers to access and control their RFoF system from any location. The remote M&C is possible with SNMP V2c and HTML webserver. SNMP is particularly useful for large-scale deployments, while an HTML webserver-based remote M&C is suitable for smaller deployments. An Inter-Facility Optical Link (IFL) is used to provide M&C access to a remote RFoF enclosure from a nearby one.
Local Management, which utilizes user-friendly interfaces for direct, hands-on control. Short distance management Is available over USB using RFOptic’s configuration tool under Microsoft Windows or a documented API. The software identifies the products by part and serial numbers and reports on the optical power of both Tx and Rx units and module temperature. It simplifies parameter adjustments and built-in diagnostics as well as the generation of log files for technical support.
ODL Monitoring & Control for RFOptic ODL systems. ODL systems may be controlled directly from the front panel with an LCD display and a 3-button navigation pad. Such systems can also be controlled using USB or Ethernet M&C interfaces as well as via documented API.
Dedicated Management Software, which allows for performing diagnostics, calibration, and troubleshooting efficiently.
Inter-Facility Link (IFL) Management which enables remote sites to be managed over the same fiber used for data transmission. This is important when RFoF cages are placed at remote sites that do not have access to LAN or the Web.
OPEX Reduction thanks to the minimized maintenance time and costs through remote diagnostics and efficient management tools.

To recap, RFOptic’s Monitoring & Control System can manage, monitor, and control RFoF converters locally and remotely. These control and monitor capabilities reduce the daily maintenance expense, allowing maintenance personnel to perform diagnostic tests and calibration in the field without special test equipment, and to locate faults and problems in the optical and RF domains. All M&C systems are user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to operate. Additional information can be found in the help files of the M&C software.

To learn more about RFOptic’s M&C, download the data sheet.

RFOptic’s progress in Asia

Posted on February 26, 2025July 9, 2025 by admin

In general, some Asia Pacific countries, led by China, India, Japan, and South Korea, are investing considerably in homeland security and defense applications. For the last few years, RFOptic has made significant progress in various markets in Asia. Based on our commercial success, we are looking forward to accelerating our growth across several key Asian markets this year. We will expand our footprint in the local EW & Defense and 5G testing sectors thanks to the increasing demand for advanced optical RF solutions. Let’s have a closer look at our progress in more detail, focusing on Japan, India, Vietnam, China, and South Korea.

Japan: A Promising Future
The Japanese market is experiencing robust growth, particularly in applications such as telemetry, remote antennas, and 5G technology. Thanks to the commitment and efforts of our local distributor, Fuchu, we have entered the Japanese market successfully. Following our success in the last few years, we anticipate tripling our local sales this year, mainly through repeat orders. We expect our recently launched Ultra 12GHz and 18GHz products to drive local demand.

To learn more about our Ultra 12GHz product solution, click here. To learn more about our Ultra 18GHz product solution, click here.

India: Strategic Partnerships and Expanding Projects
Following successful trials of our 6GHz phase-matched point-to-point and 18GHz four-channel demonstrations, RFOptic has been awarded two major projects. The first one is with the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The second one consists of our optical RF solutions at millimeter wavelengths for maritime applications. To get a permanent foothold in this strategic market, we have been building cooperations with first and second-tier integrators. These strategic relationships allow us to provide e.g., our Government & Defense solutions to meet the growing demand from the defense sector.

To learn more about our customized RF over Fiber high SFDR for 5G mm-Wave active antenna arrays, contact us.

Vietnam: New Opportunities
As we mentioned in our previous blog post, Vietnam is emerging as a major player in the EW & Defense sector, also thanks to strong players such as the Viettel Group. There is especially a strong demand for optical delay lines and systems for RADAR altimeter testing. This was also evident at a recent exhibition where we were represented by our local partner s9 Technology JSC. Also, based on the success of this expo, we expect significant market growth as the demand for our innovative solutions, such as for our phase-matched CWDM multi-link RFoF, continues to rise.

To learn more about our Optical RF Electronic Warfare & Radar Systems, click here.

China: Continued Success and Repeat Orders
As RFOptic, we are also active in China. Our success record includes receiving a third consecutive order from the Radio Telescope Observatory in Shanghai. We supplied advanced 18GHz and 6GHz links, alongside our HTML management system. Our solutions for remote antenna applications in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) have also resulted in repeat orders. With the launch or our Ultra product line, which is known for its compactness, lightweight design, and performance, we expect continued growth in this market. Other deployments include South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) for the supply of broadband 18 GHz fiber optic links for its Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) site, and the Onsala Space Observatory.

For more information about our RFOptic’s fiber optic solutions for Radio Telescope and Astronomy, click here.

Korea: A Key Market
Another rapidly growing market for us at RFOptic is South Korea. The main demand is for our optical delay lines and HSFDR product lines for defense and DAS applications. Due to the changing geo-political situation, we forecast a growing need for our off-the-shelf and customized solutions. Therefore, we consider South Korea, being an essential market, to play a crucial part in our overall growth strategy in Asia.

To learn more about our DAS solution, click here.

Other Markets: Significant CAGR Growth
The overall demand for RFOptic’s products highlights a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) across the Asian market, outpacing the global average. Our track record of providing creative, compact solutions and excellent support makes us the preferred choice. This positions us well to provide our 5G RFoF subsystems and Electronic Warfare & RADAR solutions in these important markets.

In conclusion, as RFOptic, we are looking forward to strengthening our presence in these dynamic markets even more. As always, our main focus will remain on developing and providing innovative solutions that meet our customers’ needs.

Our participation in IMS2024 was a great success!

Posted on July 3, 2024July 9, 2025 by admin

In June, we participated for the first time in IMS2024. The IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium is a yearly event. This year, it took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, offering exhibitors a chance to connect with 9,000+ members of the RF and Microwave community from across the globe.

At our booth, we showcased our RFoF & ODL solutions for Electronic Warfare & Radar, 5G testing, and DAS applications, attracting many visitors. We received visitors from all over the world representing government agencies, major system integrators, and commercial enterprises active in the 5G cellular, satcom, broadcast, government & defense, testing & measuring, and Electronic Warfare & Radar industries.

We talked to more than 100 visitors who left their details to be contacted after the show, which resulted in sending out several proposals for RFoF solutions.

Our live demo got a lot of attention from interested parties, who asked our experts detailed questions.

The show also gave us a good opportunity to meet some of our distributors to catch up. We had meetings with representatives from Municom GmbH, our distributor for Central Europe, Fusoh Shoji Co., Ltd. from Japan, Amtele Communication, our distributor for Scandinavia, Matech from France, and Mitron from China.

The show demonstrated that there is a growing demand for the type of RF over Fiber subsystems and solutions that we, as RFOptic, offer.

Our next participation in an international exhibition will be at the upcoming European Microwave Exhibition. EuMW 2024 will take place during September 24-26 in the Paris Convention Center, 1 place de la Porte de Versailles 75015 Paris. At the event, we will co-exhibit in booth 422b of the company MATECH. We will showcase our advanced solutions for RFoF & ODL solutions for Electronic Warfare & Radar, 5G testing, and DAS applications. If you are interested in setting up an appointment with our VP Mr. Oz Abramson, during the event, click here.

Exploring the Frontier of Testing and Measurement: Unlocking 67GHz of Bandwidth

Posted on January 24, 2024July 9, 2025 by admin

RFOptic expanded the bandwidth of its RFoF products to 67GHz. Such RFoF products target the test and measurement field, enabling more remote antenna applications and 5G/6G Fronthaul and Remote Radio Heads. For all these applications, the 67GHz bandwidth represents a significant leap forward.

Communication over mm-Waves and 67GHz

Traditionally mm-Waves, characterized by frequencies ranging from 30GHz to 300GHz, were used for military and scientific applications. This part of the spectrum is highly coveted for its ability to transmit vast amounts of data due to its shorter wavelength and wider available bandwidth. Recently, the ample available bandwidth and minimal interference have become attractive to communication applications as demand for information throughput has increased. Various sub-bands are now developed for cellular and other communication applications. Due to higher absorption in the atmosphere, the operation of communication links in these short wavelengths requires finer beam forming, which in turn calls for massive MIMO antenna arrays. In such arrays, each antenna element is small but a far larger number of them are used to form a narrow beam for efficient linking to the subscriber. The large number of feeds and wide bandwidths make the common CPRI and its next-generation eCPRI digital solutions impractical. RF links via fiber can deliver the throughput and distance for such applications. RFOptic’s 20GHz, 40GHz, and 67GHz RFoF combined with Dense Wavelength Multiplexing (DWDM) over lightweight fiber bundles can easily handle the information throughput, bandwidth and dynamic range for antenna array towers.

Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and 67GHz

Distributed antenna systems (DAS) are crucial in ensuring seamless wireless communication in shielded areas as well as areas with high subscriber density, such as stadiums, airports, and urban environments. 5G mm-Wave femto, pico, and nano cells are available with throughputs exceeding 10Gbps. Numerous such cells are distributed in the covered area to ensure that every subscriber has a line-of-sight path to a cell at all times. These small cells provide access points for subscribers requiring extreme bandwidth, which is exactly where RFoF technology excels. RFOptic 40GHz and 67GHz links are a natural solution for the aggregation or distribution of such signals ensuring optimal network performance. DAS engineers must assess the impact of obstacles, reflections, and absorption on the quality of the communication.

Satcom: Connecting Beyond Horizons

Satellite communications (satcom) play a pivotal role in global connectivity, enabling communication in remote areas and facilitating data transmission for various applications, including weather monitoring and military operations. The use of mm-waves is enabled with RFOptic ‘s 67GHz RFoF links. Specifically, a form of “secure communication” is possible around 60GHz frequency where a strong Oxygen absorption naturally limits the range where an eavesdropper can listen in on the signal. The 57GHz and 64 GHz are unlicensed communication bands with 7GHz of bandwidth, offering robust and efficient communication channels.

Exploring the Cosmos: Radio Telescopes and 67GHz

Radio telescopes are astronomical instruments designed to detect radio-frequency emissions from celestial objects. The implementation of 67GHz in radio telescope technology extends our ability to explore the cosmos with unprecedented precision.

The shorter wavelength of 67GHz allows radio telescopes to capture finer details in cosmic phenomena. This is particularly valuable in fields such as radio astronomy, where the ability to discern subtle features in distant galaxies or pulsars can provide critical insights into the nature of the universe.

Bridging Distances: Long RF Links via Fiber

Long-distance communication via radio frequency (RF) links is a fundamental aspect of modern connectivity. Integrating 67GHz in long RF links via fiber optics represents a paradigm shift in the efficiency and reliability of such communication systems.

The high frequency of 67GHz enables the transmission of large amounts of data over fiber optic cables, minimizing signal loss and maximizing bandwidth. This is particularly advantageous in scenarios where high data transfer rates are crucial, such as in data centers, telecommunications networks, and other applications requiring robust long-distance connectivity.

Electronic Warfare: The Spectrum as a Battlefield

In the realm of electronic warfare, the electromagnetic spectrum is a contested domain. The use of 67GHz in electronic warfare testing and measurement empowers military strategists to assess and enhance the performance of electronic countermeasure systems.

The ability to simulate and analyze electronic warfare scenarios at 67GHz provides a realistic testing environment for radar jamming, signal interception, and other electronic warfare tactics. This frequency’s characteristics allow for the development of more sophisticated and resilient electronic warfare solutions, contributing to the ongoing evolution of defense technologies.

Conclusion: Unleashing the Potential of 67GHz

In conclusion, the integration of 67GHz in testing and measurement processes represents a significant advancement across various technological domains. From distributed antenna systems to satellite communications, radio telescopes, antenna remoting, long RF links via fiber, and electronic warfare, the applications of 67GHz are diverse and transformative.

As we continue to explore the capabilities of higher frequencies, the impact of 67GHz on testing and measurement technologies underscores its potential to revolutionize how we understand and optimize complex systems. The journey into the uncharted territories of 67GHz is not just a technological endeavor; it’s a gateway to unlocking new frontiers of innovation and discovery.

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