Rohde & Schwarz and Pegatron Hit 1.7 Gbps in FR3 Phased Array Demo

Rohde & Schwarz and Pegatron have demonstrated FR3 phased array technology delivering a projected 1.7 Gbps over 100 MHz of bandwidth, roughly double what a comparable single-stream link achieves. The demonstration took place at the 6G Summit in Taipei, Taiwan, and centred on dual-polarised MIMO signal transmission at 13 GHz and 15 GHz. Both bands sit in the FR3 range under study for future 6G systems, including radio access network infrastructure and satellite communications.

The test bench combined Rohde & Schwarz's FSWX signal and spectrum analyser with its R&S SMW200A vector signal generator. Pegatron supplied the dual-polarised FR3 phased array antenna. Using 100 MHz of bandwidth, 4096 QAM and dual-stream transmission, the exhibition setup reached the 1.7 Gbps projected rate — about twice the throughput of a single-stream configuration.

How did the array perform outside the lab?

Pegatron also ran its FR3 phased array through a more practical scenario: a standard office environment. Under the 5G NR protocol, the system reached a peak expected data rate of 1.4 Gbps across an indoor distance of 40 metres. That run used 100 MHz of bandwidth, 1024 QAM and dual-stream transmission. The indoor result gives engineers a point of comparison between laboratory-style verification and real deployment conditions, where reflections, obstacles and user movement complicate beam steering.

The measurement methodology itself changed between generations of test gear. Earlier verification work relied on a conventional spectrum analyser, which required engineers to adjust horizontal and vertical signal controls separately. The FSWX architecture analyses multiple channels in parallel, and the companies say this yields results closer to actual system behaviour.

What is at stake in the FR3 band?

FR3 — the mid-band spectrum roughly between 7 GHz and 24 GHz — has become a focal point of 6G research because it offers wide, contiguous bandwidth without the severe coverage penalties of millimetre-wave spectrum. Standardisation work on 6G is now entering its critical phases, and vendors are positioning test equipment, antenna modules and chipsets around the band before specifications solidify.

Alexander Pabst, Vice President Market Segment Wireless Communications at Rohde & Schwarz, framed the spectrum question in direct terms. "FR3 is expected to provide the highly demanded additional spectrum for 6G," he said. "Wider bandwidth, higher order modulation and massive MIMO demand evolved test and measurement equipment."

Pabst added that the FSWX "combines multiple input ports, cross correlation capabilities, advanced filter banks and broadband ADCs to address complex signal analysis tasks at unprecedented speed and accuracy." That claim describes instrument capability; the demonstrated throughput figures are the concrete evidence the companies put behind it.

What comes next for Pegatron's FR3 portfolio?

Pegatron, best known as a contract manufacturer for consumer electronics, is building a dedicated FR3 antenna business. William Wu, Director of the Communication Technology Center at Pegatron, described the band as "a pivotal battleground for future wireless innovation" as 6G standardisation and R&D advance.

Wu said the company has developed 13 GHz (FCC-aligned) and 15 GHz (ITU-aligned) phased array antenna technology that integrates array antennas, beamforming ICs and RF frontends with beamforming, horizontal/vertical dual-linear polarisation and multi-channel designs. "We have built robust beam control and high-speed transmission capabilities for the FR3 band," he said.

The roadmap extends below the demonstrated frequencies. Pegatron is now developing 7 GHz and 8 GHz array antenna modules aimed at massive MIMO deployments, which would place its hardware in the lower portion of the FR3 range that many regulators and operators favour for wider-area 6G coverage.

Both companies position the Taipei results as a step toward validating FR3 for high-bandwidth, high-order-modulation, multi-stream links. With 6G standardisation timelines pointing toward the second half of the decade, expect FR3 test campaigns like this one to multiply as vendors race to prove their equipment before the first specifications lock in.