6G Prototyping in the Upper Mid-Band (7-24 GHz)

This demonstration presents a prototyping platform for 6G cellular experimentation, leveraging the open-source Open Air Interface (OAI) 5G implementation and software-defined radios (SDRs) to operate in the candidate upper mid-band spectrum <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$(\mathbf{7 - 2 4} \mathbf{~ G H z})$</tex> for 6G, also known as Frequency Range 3 (FR3). The platform showcases two distinct FR3 end-to-end demonstrations: (1) a fully operational end-to-end communication link utilizing OAI, and (2) an open-radio unit (O-RU) implementation tailored for an O-RAN architecture. The O-RU integrates an Analog Devices O-RU with the Pi-Radio FR3 frontend radio, enabling flexible experimentation with radio hardware and software. The first demonstration highlights the potential of OAI to extend its open 5G framework for 6G prototyping in new frequency bands. The second demonstration focuses on the open O-RU's ability to serve as a testbed for hardwarespecific upper mid-band prototyping, with a focus on the physical layer. In addition to that, we present and demonstrate a Xilinx RFSoC-based open-source channel sounder implementation at FR3, which is key to assess RF propagation in frontier spectrum. Together, these demonstrations provide a comprehensive platform for researchers and practitioners to explore 6G innovations in the emerging upper mid-band spectrum, fostering open development and collaboration in next-generation cellular networks.