RIS technology enables high-frequency signals to penetrate indoor environments, offering great potential in overcoming signal attenuation issues, especially in millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications through building windows.

In a recent demonstration by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) of Korea, Anritsu’s vector network analyzer (VNA) MS46122B was utilised as a key measurement instrument, proving high-precision performance even in compact setups.

ETRI's newly developed technology features a transparent PET film-based micro-antenna array that can be attached to windows to maximise signal penetration without the need for active repeaters.

In an experimental setup, Anritsu's 2-port VNA MS46122B was used to compare S-parameters and transmission loss between glass with RIS film and ordinary glass.

The MS46122B is a compact USB-type vector network analyser supporting up to 43.5 GHz, offering stable and repeatable measurements in both lab and field environments—without the complexity of traditional test setups.

Anritsu VNAs are already widely used in research institutions and industries for evaluating high-frequency materials, antennas, and transmission characteristics. The MS46122B is reportedly becoming a core instrument for quantifying the performance of RIS and metasurface technologies.

With scalability for mmWave, FR2, and FR3 bands, the solution is said to be ideal for research teams preparing RIS technology for commercial deployment in the 5G-Advanced and upcoming 6G era.

An Anritsu representative stated: “RIS is a core technology for solving indoor coverage issues in high-frequency communications,” and added, “Anritsu’s MS46122B is a compact, high-performance VNA that ensures reliable measurements even in space-limited environments, contributing to the validation and commercialization of RIS technologies.”