Keysight and Qualcomm Advance RF Digital Twins for 5G-Advanced and 6G Research

Collaboration links digital twins with real-world measurements to reduce risk and speed development for next-gen wireless networks.

Mar. 3, 2026 at 4:06pm

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Keysight Technologies and Qualcomm Technologies have collaborated to accelerate the development of high-precision Radio Frequency (RF) digital twins for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology in 5G-Advanced and emerging 6G networks. This partnership demonstrates how chipset, device, and network equipment manufacturers can more accurately predict and optimize massive MIMO performance before deployment, reducing rollout risk and speeding innovation for next-generation wireless systems.

Why it matters

As wireless networks evolve, massive MIMO performance is increasingly shaped by the unique RF conditions of each deployment site. This collaboration aims to bridge the gap between simulation, lab emulation, and real-world network performance, enabling more accurate predictions and optimizations of massive MIMO technology. This is crucial for reducing risk and accelerating the development of AI-native 6G networks.

The details

Keysight and Qualcomm Technologies will jointly demonstrate how a high-fidelity RF digital twin can be created using Keysight's Channel Studio RaySim and Qualcomm Technologies' massive MIMO algorithms. The radio propagation modeling will capture site-specific effects, which will then be verified by comparing results from Qualcomm Technologies' end-to-end massive MIMO prototype network with lab-based testbeds using Keysight channel emulation and Qualcomm Technologies' test devices. This workflow demonstrates observed correlation in evaluated scenarios across key performance indicators, including Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), rank, and data throughput, when compared against over-the-air (OTA) measurements.

  • The demonstration will take place at Mobile World Congress 2026.

The players

Keysight Technologies, Inc.

A global technology company that provides design, emulation, and test solutions to help engineers develop and deploy new technologies.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

A subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated that develops chipsets, devices, and network equipment for wireless communications.

Kiran Mukkavilli

Senior Director at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Mosaab Abughalib

General Manager and Head of Wireless Solutions at Keysight.

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What they’re saying

“Realistic RF digital twins are essential for developing and validating advanced beamforming and AI-based optimization techniques. By anchoring high-fidelity digital twins to Qualcomm Technologies' end-to-end massive MIMO research platform, this collaboration demonstrates how high-fidelity modeling, combined with system-level testing and over-the-air validation, can improve confidence that massive MIMO algorithms will perform as expected in real deployments.”

— Kiran Mukkavilli, Senior Director, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“High-precision RF digital twins help engineers connect algorithm design to measurable hardware performance. By combining raytraced digital twins with advanced channel emulation, Keysight enables customers to predict massive MIMO behavior before deployment, reducing risk and accelerating innovation toward AI-native 6G networks.”

— Mosaab Abughalib, General Manager and Head of Wireless Solutions, Keysight

What’s next

The validated workflow may be used to support generation of high-quality channel datasets to train and validate AI/machine learning techniques, such as Channel State Information (CSI) compression, adaptive beam management, and AI-assisted precoding optimization.

The takeaway

This collaboration between Keysight and Qualcomm demonstrates how high-fidelity RF digital twins can bridge the gap between simulation, lab emulation, and real-world network performance, enabling more accurate predictions and optimizations of massive MIMO technology. This is a crucial step in reducing risk and accelerating the development of AI-native 6G networks.