Viavi Solutions has launched a real-time RAN optimisation and benchmarking solution, Rubix. This tool allows radio frequency (RF) post-processing by letting operators spend more time improving the end-user quality of experience as opposed to managing drive test data.

The growth in heterogeneous networks and increased architectural complexity of new cell site architectures are driving operators, network element managers, and contractors to find simpler, faster and more cost-effective deployment and optimisation methods. There is a significant market demand for an RF drive/walk test tool that operates in real time and is simple to use, is accessible remotely, and is scalable with the network. The Rubix real-time post-processing tool meets these requirements. It not only allows all parties involved in the deployment and optimisation of cell sites, whether macro, small cell or distributed antenna system, to analyse data in real time, but also saves time and reduces expenditure by minimising multiple site visits. Further, engineers can remotely review and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify network performance issues.

When teams conduct tests at a venue, collected data may not represent the desired results and there is a possibility of missing out a few locations. It takes a significant amount of time to upload and process the data remotely and the teams have usually already left and may not have access to the venue. With the help of Rubix, the project manager can get a real-time view of the data to conduct the walk test in a timely manner without revisits, minimising project costs and downtime.

Key features and benefits

  • Event benchmarking: Rubix and the TrueSite ultra-portable solu­tion from Viavi allow technicians to gather RF data, even during a busy event. The Rubix smart processing engine delivers KPIs (throughput, dropped calls and connection attempts) in an easy-to-access live report that displays the user experience across multiple operators.
  • Antenna validation report: Validating antenna deployment on a real-time basis is essential for keeping up with network growth and managing opex. The Rubix antenna validation report provides the end-user with the status of each antenna at the venue.
  • VoLTE: Viavi has partnered with operators to enhance the solution to deliver key voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) KPIs to quickly identify and troubleshoot any VoLTE network anomalies.
  • eMBMS conformance testing: Rubix can quickly identify issues witnessed during a drive to validate the performance of the broadcast channel as compared to the unicast channel to optimise the broadcast configurations