In this blog post we are going to review three configuration examples of lab architecture that mirror the production environment of a mobile network. The first is an operator who wants to be able to test their two-vendor 4G implementation in the lab, where each vendor uses two different configurations.
The RF Test Position solution is an off-the-shelf product launched and released in late 2022 and features one of many solutions that can be derived from the LAMTA orchestration platform. Popularity of the solution increased after the COVID-19 pandemic forced lab managers to maintain business continuity without having staff on site.
One of the most common issues facing RF lab managers is the cost of setting up various RF testing scenarios, executing the tests, and then tearing down those same setups. Not only is this tedious, time-consuming, and manual labour, it also creates excessive stress and strain on expensive RF components.
With the advent of software-centric applications, CI/CD methodologies and continuous testing workflows were introduced to improve end-user applications and experiences. Could these same principles and methods be used to test things that are not virtual - like parts of 5G RAN?
The typical mobile network is more complicated today than ever before. More frequency bands are in use with different propagation characteristics, multiple radio access technologies used simultaneously, all to deliver an expanding list of innovative user services. This means combinations to test are expanding. How can operators adopt their testing and deployment processes to manage this change?
Last week we hosted our webinar, "The Mirror Lab: A New Approach for RF Testing and RAN Deployment in the Telco Cloud Era". For those that missed it or want to listen again, here’s a recording to the webinar.