As Over-the-Air (OTA) testing is becoming standardized and is being adopted by network providers, more pressure is being exerted on the RF engine in a mobile device to improve its performance in real-world scenarios. No formal specifications have
been standardized as of yet for the performance results of a mobile device that has undergone OTA testing. However, the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) has established the methods for OTA testing and some network providers
have set their own specifications. OTA testing methods that are used to test a mobile device will be discussed with the concentration
being on the performance parameter that more closely relates to the power amplifier (PA) in a GSM (Global System for
Mobile Communications) system, the Total Radiated Power (TRP). A method of testing which presents conditions to the PA that
closely imitate the conditions presented during OTA testing is also discussed. This allows the TRP performance of the PA to be
evaluated. Test results from two GSM PA modules are presented and compared, one being TRP compliant and the other being non-compliant.