As hopes rise for GPRS, companies are churning out solutions to take advantage of the emerging technology.
Tektronix Inc. sees itself as playing a role in the equipment-testing arena.
With its two latest products, the company believes it is in full gear for the technology ride. One of the products is the Tektronix NetTek base station field tool, which enables technicians to install and verify base station functionality.
The other is a solution package that will allow network technical personnel to pre-test, install and verify interoperability among newly developed GPRS elements.
The NetTek tool, which is designed as a base station tool kit, serves the purpose of multiple instruments with room for more capabilities in the future, according to the company. Tektronix said it will add a base station T1 backhaul link testing option to it soon.
“Among our wireless network operator customers, the pressure to expand capacity is taxing the personnel and equipment resources needed to install and maintain base stations,” said Scott Bausback, vice president, communications business unit for Tektronix. “The NetTek tool allows technicians of any skill level to carry a simple, affordable tool to the site and get the job done fast.”
The product, which consists of multi-standard measurement modules, addresses GSM, IS-136 and cdmaOne standards and performs diagnostic tests for frequency, output power and modulation quality, according to the company. It also locates interference sources like television, pager signals or competing wireless provider signals.
The NetTek Windows CE interface, according to Tektronix, provides instant-on convenience and supports easy-to-use, touch-screen-based test automation features.
The other solution package enables network operators to deploy GPRS capabilities in GSM networks.
According Bausback, the package enables operators to move quickly to introduce the GPRS infrastructure to support high-speed data, wireless e-mail and Web browsing and other features.
“The GPRS solution is an essential element that operators need to rapidly progress from their current field trials to actually adding new revenue-producing services,” he said.
The package includes application-specific software, training, installation of GPRS tools and software subscriptions and it addresses such deployment risks as simulation and emulation, monitoring, conformance tests and protocol analysis.
The package supplements Tektronix’ K1205 and K1297 analyzers. The K1205 is suited for non-intrusive monitoring of live networks and prepares instruments to perform call traces, roaming tests, network optimization and other tests.
