Rohde & Schwarz And China Mobile Debut Generative AI User Experience Testbed

Rohde & Schwarz and the China Mobile Research Institute showcased an AI user experience testbed at MWC Shanghai 2026, bringing quantitative assessment of generative AI performance on connected devices to the show floor.

Built around the CMX500 5G one-box signaling tester, the joint solution evaluates how network quality affects the responsiveness of AI services.

As the adoption of large language model (LLM)-based services accelerates across smartphones, AI glasses and robots, robust test methodologies remain scarce. The industry still lacks mature metrics and standardised frameworks for user experience, and organisations such as 3GPP and GTI are pursuing related research.

In the demonstrated architecture, the large language model runs on a server or in the cloud, while the CMX500 creates a radio link to a smart terminal hosting a client test app. The CMX500 can adjust network parameters, channel fading models, latency, jitter, RF impairments and more to emulate scenarios from ideal coverage to weak edge conditions. By submitting prompts on the device and receiving model inferences, users can record key indicators including Time to First Token (TTFT) and Tokens Per Second (TPS). Host PC software aggregates the results and generates charts, enabling like-for-like comparisons and quantitative evaluation of generative AI user experience across different network states. The insights can guide on-device application design and provide reference points for future network optimisation.

At the heart of the set-up is the CMX500 5G one-box signaling tester from Rohde & Schwarz. The all-in-one platform supports SA and NSA, spans FR1 to FR3 (up to 18 GHz) and integrates an IMS server, enabling one-stop testing for RF conformance, protocol validation, VoNR acoustics and carrier aggregation. These capabilities position CMX500 as a key platform for 5G-Advanced and 6G R&D.

Liu Guangyi, Chief Expert of China Mobile and Chief Scientist of ZGC-XNET, said: "To realize the vision of 6G-enabled ubiquitous intelligent connectivity, mobile networks must evolve beyond connectivity alone. By harnessing native network computing capabilities, they will deliver pervasive, ultra-low-latency intelligent services. This shift also calls for new AI service metrics and testing methodologies. Together, Rohde & Schwarz and the China Mobile Research Institute have established a testbed that enables generative AI user experience testing across diverse wireless environments. Looking ahead, both parties plan to expand test metrics and application scenarios to support the evolution, validation and standardization of 6G-enabled AI technologies."

Jin Hailiang, Senior Director of Products & Systems Division, Rohde & Schwarz China, said: "At a time of rapid advancement in large language models, the testbed jointly developed by Rohde & Schwarz and the China Mobile Research Institute sets an important benchmark for generative AI user experience testing. We are pleased to showcase this achievement together at MWC Shanghai 2026. Building on this testing architecture, both parties aim to expand test scenarios and industry use cases, helping advance the standardization of generative AI user experience testing and laying a strong technical foundation for the 6G AI era."

The live demonstration was available in China Mobile's 6G Zone at MWC Shanghai 2026 (Hall 3, N3E60), where experts from both organisations discussed how the approach can help optimise generative AI applications for future networks.

rohde-schwarz.com