VIAVI Solutions has announced that its wireless business unit is offering RANtoCore, a full suite of end-to-end mobile network testing capabilities. The solution can validate mobile network performance from the radio access network (RAN) to the core, via the mobile edge. It offers operators and NEMs a realistic test environment for optimising 4G and 4.5G, while enabling the development of 5G technology and the shift of core functionality to the network edge.
It combines VIAVI TM500 and VIAVI TeraVM, test solutions which are part of the recently acquired wireless test and measurement business of Cobham. The VIAVI TM500 offers a comprehensive and scalable 3GPP-compliant network test system for base station development. It simulates end-user and internet of things (IoT) devices, stress-testing the impact of RAN traffic on the core network. The VIAVI TeraVM can test and validate virtualised network functions and the virtual evolved packet core by providing scalable real-world application, securing RAN and cybersecurity attack emulation. When used together, forming the VIAVI RANtoCore, operators can benefit from a complete end-to-end network testing solution.
It will also enable the development and commercialisation of a wide range of use cases. For the connected automotive environment, for example, the solution will validate networks to ensure that a connected car is receiving and prioritising safety-critical communication between the car’s operating system and sensors in the external environment. At the same time, the network will be able to continuously support but de-prioritise numerous additional traffic streams – such as video over internet protocol (IP) – by a passenger streaming video content on his/her smartphone.
