Crossing the LTE chasm

Negotiating this divide will enable operators to maximise existing network assets. At the same time, they can be safe in the knowledge that their network and associated components will perform equally well under legacy and next-generation conditions. However, achieving this means equipment manufacturers and operators will need to fully characterise and test their networks, subsystems and new all-IP elements to ensure they are operating properly and within specification, under loaded conditions that simulate real-world traffic in a mixed environment. This will result in operators being able to ensure the end-to-end quality of the network and all the services being offered through it.

New test strategies and solutions must be flexible, robust and innovative to link the void between legacy and next generation technologies. The usual test cycle involves an operator developing a proof of concept, building architecture to test in the laboratory and then actual field deployment and tests. Operators use this process to validate individual component performance and then scale under realistic network operating conditions. This process is much more complex when test and measurement systems have to consider legacy and next generation technology together.

Mobile networks spanning legacy and next-generation contain an array of technologies and standards, multiple protocols and equipment made by differing vendors. These individual network components, forming the entire architecture, must function correctly, within specifications, and as part of a larger network. To ensure this, a test and measurement solution must be able to test specific protocols and standards, over multiple technologies, to inspect if legacy and next generation components are working individually, but also communicating efficiently with each other while successfully transporting varied types of media. The answer is a single platform test and measurement tool, with a single user interface, that can perform legacy and IP testing, at the same time, and monitor legacy media conversion to, and from, IP. Due to the level of equipment in mobile networks from multiple vendors it is also important that this test and measurement system is vendor agnostic and is capable of monitoring equipment from any vendor. Having a single, functional and flexible test system like this can help operators make an easier transition to an all IP network while still retaining the optimium performance of their legacy networks.

Both legacy and IP components are catered for by a single test and measurement solution like this. Moreover, it will also provide more accurate and repeatable measurements as there is no need to rely on multiple pieces of test equipment which could produce different results. Accurate measurements are crucial in the decision making process when planning out network topology.

Another reality is that the time-to-market for new services and applications is continually shrinking. In order to keep pace, test and measurement solutions need to compress and accelerate the test cycle. A single, vendor agnostic, multi-technology and protocol, test and measurement solution helps to accomplish this by providing operators with the ability to drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to test new components which will be delivering the types of services and applications that end-users are demanding.

As networks undergo the transition to next generation technologies, the amount of equipment and overall complexity at a high level is decreasing. However, the drawback is that individual components are now becoming more integrated with higher levels of functionality; as technologies become more standard and off-the-shelf, components and chipsets become more common. As a result, the barriers-to-entry into the network equipment vendor market have become more competitive and are attracting new market entrants. This introduction of more vendor solutions, with greater functionality, increases the complexity of testing network components, thus heightens the need for a test and measurement solution that is vendor agnostic.

If this abstract has piqued your interest, read the full article online in the August issue of Electronic Specifier Design, by clicking here.