Graph of Commercial LTE network launches. Courtesy of the GSA.
Testing for LTE devices continues to evolve, with Spirent Communications’ announcement of the availability of validated LTE location conformance tests for GCF certification for “every mobile device that supports LTE Positioning Protocol defined by the 3GPP for LTE networks.”
The tests have been available on Spirent’s 8100 Location Technology Solution for over a year, the company said, but only received formal GCF certification this week.
Spirent noted that such conformance tests “are critical for evaluating the mobile device’s ability to support next-generation location services, a key enabler of commercial success of LTE deployments around the world.”
Speaking of those LTE deployments, the Global mobile Suppliers Association updated its tracking of LTE networks this week and said that 194 operators in 75 countries have now launched commercial networks, with 107 commercial launches in the past year. The GSA said that a total of 443 operators in 130 countries are investing in LTE, with 391 firm commitments to the technology and another 52 operators in trials, tests or studies of LTE.
LTE, the GSA said, is “mainstream and the fastest deploying mobile system technology ever.”
Alan Hadden, president of the GSA, called LTE “an industry success” and added that the GSA has raised its market outlook on LTE “in view of the quickening pace of commitments and deployments. GSA forecasts there will be 260 commercially launched networks in 93 countries by end 2013.”
In other test and measurement news, Rohde & Schwarz this week launched a new all-in-one test system for broadcasting audio, video and multimedia applications. The R&S Broadcasting Test Center is aimed at streamlining research, development and testing for chipset and receiver manufacturers as well as test houses, and is also designed for use by satellite equipment manufacturers, network operators and regulators, among others.
Mathias Leutiger, head of marketing product for broadcasting T&M services for Rohde & SChwarz, said during a press conference yesterday that the BTC will assist in reducing time-to-market in a very competitive space where speed of development is emphasized.
“Clearly, the departments of R&D and quality assurance have less and less time for intensive and extensive tests, and reproducible tests,” he said, adding that the BTC is designed to be used from R&D all the way to a finished product.
