At MWC Barcelona VIAVI will showcase solutions and partnerships

“Service providers are facing a myriad of technology and field deployment challenges as they upgrade their networks to the next generation,” said Oleg Khaykin, President and CEO, VIAVI. “They have to manage new architecture complexities and security concerns, while optimizing costs and addressing workforce skill gaps. At MWC Barcelona this year, we will be presenting solutions to help our customers address and manage these multi-faceted challenges.”

At VIAVI Stand #5A18, the company will showcase its industry-leading portfolio of Lab to Live test and optimisation solutions. Many of the displayed solutions are enabled by the Network Integrated Test, Real-Time Analytics and Optimization (NITRO) platform and are available directly and through partners.

• Digital network transformation. VIAVI Cloud RANtoCore solutions enable individual node or end-to-end conformance, performance and interoperability testing – in the lab, through the cloud or as a service. NITRO AI Network Operations, based on the company’s acquisition of CanGo Networks, support communications service providers in harnessing cloud platforms, open control interfaces and automation, by providing cloud-native Asset Discovery, Inventory and Topology, Assurance and Analytics, and Fault Management.

• Evolved network deployment for 5G and beyond. The VIAVI OneAdvisor 800 Wireless equips field technicians and contractors with a compact instrument to install, activate and maintain all elements of the RAN, including RF and fibre. OneAdvisor 800 addresses current deployment scenarios – from millimeter wave networks, to mitigating uplink interference, to network timing and synchronization, and X-haul testing – with automated test processes that help close workforce skill gaps.

• 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) validation. With 3GPP Release 17 introducing satellite networks, and the rapid growth of commercial constellations, the VIAVI TM500 Network Tester enables effective and scalable validation of NTN communications.

• Private network intelligence. NITRO Private Network Intelligence enables enterprises to rapidly plan, deploy and manage Private 5G and LTE networks while creating an Intelligent Edge. A small, hand-sized XEdge device enables sensor-based ML-powered situational awareness, facilitating digital transformation use cases.

• Energy-saving solutions. The NITRO Location Intelligence xApp and rApp provide a commercial RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) with foundational subscriber-centric geolocation capability that can be used by other apps to enable autonomous decisions, while the VIAVI TeraVM RIC Test applies artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to train apps, resulting in more energy-efficient network operation. 

• Resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). The VIAVI PNT-6200 Series, based on the company’s acquisition of Jackson Labs Technologies, provides maximum resiliency for critical infrastructure dependent on positioning and timing, by supplementing or even replacing GPS signals with connectivity to the broadest range of timing sources on the market.

Sameh Yamany, Chief Technology Officer, VIAVI, commented: “Collaboration is vital to an open, cloud-native network, and vendors who go it alone in a complex environment are unlikely to deliver the positive impact that operators need. We have partnered with the leaders and innovative players in the market, so that operators can gain the benefits of an ecosystem driving them forward.”

Throughout MWC Barcelona, VIAVI will also be conducting joint demonstrations with the following partners:

• AWS. The VIAVI TeraVM RIC Test provides realistic RAN emulation in an energy efficiency and sustainability demonstration hosted by AWS. Location: AWS Village, Hall 2.1.

• Supermicro, Capgemini and Intel. The VIAVI TM500 Network Tester and TeraVM O-CU Tester provide UE and O-RU emulation and support end-to-end performance validation of 5G RAN and Core with simulated traffic on Intel 4th Gen Xeon Scalable processors with vRAN Boost on Supermicro X13-based Ultra Short-depth and Hyper-E systems. Location: Supermicro Stand #5D66.

• Capgemini. The NITRO Location Intelligence xApp and rApp provide the Capgemini Near-RT and Non-RT RIC platforms with foundational subscriber-centric geolocation capability. Location: Capgemini Stand #2B90.

• i14y Lab in Berlin, EANTC, Accelleran, and Node-H. The VIAVI TM500 Network Tester and TeraVM Core Emulator support multi-vendor, end-to-end functional performance testing of the EANTC automation server, the Node-H O-RU and O-DU and the Accelleran O-CU. Locations: EANTC Stand #7B81, Accelleran Stand #7G51 and VIAVI Stand #5A18.

• TIP Community Lab at Meta, Aira Technologies, VMware and Capgemini. The VIAVI TM500 Network Tester provides UE and channel emulation to showcase Aira’s AI-based High Fidelity MIMO Channel Estimation and Prediction xApp. This xApp is a solution to the X2 - Uplink Channel Estimationuse case defined by the TIP RIA subgroup. The xApp runs atop the VMware RIC, and gets signals via E2 connected to Aira O-DU driven by the Capgemini 5G Core. Locations: TIP Pavilion Stand #5A40 and VMware Stand #3M11.

• Rohde & Schwarz and Analog Devices. The VIAVI TM500 O-RU Tester and R&S SMW200A Vector Signal Generator, R&S FSVA3000 Spectrum Analyzer and R&S Vector Signal Explorer software validate O-RAN WG4 fronthaul conformance of the Analog Devices’ ADRV904x-RD-RUMB 8T8R O-RU reference design and development kit. Location: Analog Devices Stand #2B18. 

• ServiceNow. The VIAVI NITRO Discovery application, enabling network operators to develop and maintain pinpoint accurate network inventory and topology, will be demonstrated. Location: ServiceNow Stand #GG4.

• VMware. The NITRO Location Intelligence xApp and rApp will run on the VMware RIC and will be featured in the RAN Innovation Showcase as well as part of a rAppathon suite of demonstrations. A second collaboration on the VMware stand will demonstrate RIC Testbed As A Service which will enable mobile operators to introduce programmability to the RAN and help accelerate the adoption of Open RAN. Location: VMware Stand #3M11.