Anite says it has submitted the first LTE carrier aggregation (CA) protocol test cases for verification to 3GPP’s RAN Working Group 5 (RAN5), Â key step toward validation that would lead to the test cases being included in both the Global Certification Forum and the PTCRB’s device certification requirements.
The test cases were developed using Anite’s Conformance Toolset, in collaboration with “major North American and Asian chipset and device manufacturers,” the company said. Anite based the submissions on initial verifications that it submitted to RAN5 in April of this year. The company said it is responsible for about two-third of all LTE protocol test case verification submissions to RAN5.
CA allows better spectrum efficiency and faster data rates by aggregating narrower spectrum bandwidths, and is one of the most highly anticipated LTE-Advanced features. The development of LTE-A CA testing will allow further development of the feature across the ecosystem by device and chipset manufacturers.
Anritsu released new software for supporting multi-mode TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE devices on its Rapid Test Designer solution, which will enable chipset and device makers to test their implementations for use on China Mobile’s network and make sure that they work both where LTE is available and where coverage is limited to China Mobile’s 3G network. The new software works with Anritsu’s mobile network simulators, including the MD8475A signaling tester.
Ercom, which provides LTE network emulation products, showcased its its Mobipass solution this week at the LTE World Summit, aimed at reducing drive test costs through network emulation.
Ercom said that Mobipass can emulate thousands of user equipment devices with different characteristics, as well as a map-based per-UE channel emulator, call model builder and measurement tools for high performance quality of service and quality of experience. It claims that it can reduce the number of drive tests needed per site and reduce OpEx up to 50%.
“[Mobile network operators] need to know their network infrastructure can handle burgeoning traffic loads without compromising performance or security,” said Yannick Dupuch, Ercom’s CEO. “Early, reliable and effective validation has a crucial role to play in delivering the performance. MNOs rolling out LTE networks must efficiently and accurately validate their mobile infrastructures’ performance under strict real-world conditions, without spending vast amounts of money to do it in the field as it is done today with drive tests.”
The Small Cell Forum completed its first LTE small cell plugfest, exploring interoperability between LTE small cells and EPC elements from multiple vendors. Sixteen companies participated, including Cisco, JDSU, Radisys, SpiderCloud Wireless, Airspan Networks, Node H, Quortus and Fujitsu.
The Small Cell Forum reported that successful interoperability tests were conducted between LTE small cells and EPCs, security gateways, macro eNodeBs and as an option, HeNB gateways in order to verify S1 interface implementations. VoLTE IMS calls were also tested, along with handovers to the macro network from small cells via the SI and X2 interfaces. This is the forum’s fourth plugfest; previous topics included device interoperability, management and 3GPP standards.
Kreso Bilan, chair of the forum’s interoperability working group, said that the high level of attendance was “very encouraging, and demonstrates that strong interest in LTE small cells across the small cell ecosystem.”
