Viavi Solutions Inc. has announced the availability of NITRO Wireless, a portfolio of solutions enabling participants in the ecosystem to accelerate technology development by validating performance at each stage in intelligent, intuitive, and automated ways. The ecosystem is typically made up of equipment manufacturers, service providers, semiconductor companies, software developers, and system integrators.
The company will showcase NITRO Wireless at global events, including Futurecom (São Paulo), FYUZ (Madrid), Network X (Paris), and India Mobile Congress (New Delhi).
As 5G reaches a pivotal stage in its expansion and functionality, prominent service providers and their ecosystems are actively charting the course toward the development of 6G. Industrial applications, such as large-scale private networks, smart cities, and critical communications, require higher throughput and lower latency to enable the real-time computing and communication of precise sensing, imaging, and positioning data.
The introduction of TeraHertz/Terabit/microsecond connectivity through the cloud, open networking in a multi-vendor environment, and AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning) to automate network operation, point to re-architecting of the network, at the semiconductor, equipment, software, and application levels. The resulting challenges of network performance, quality of service (QoS), security, and energy consumption now need to be mitigated and simplified.
NITRO Wireless blends performance and interoperability test platforms used throughout the industry for 3GPP and O-RAN (open radio access network) with cloud, intelligence, automation, and digital twin technology enabled by the Network Integrated Test, Real-Time Analytics and Optimization (NITRO) platform. As networks become more complex and layered, a focus on measuring and assuring experience from the user perspective – by emulating usage scenarios modelled on real network data – generates the intelligence to simplify the delivery of new technology.
NITRO Wireless use cases include:
- RAN Intelligence – The NITRO Wireless TeraVM RIC Test trains the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) based on data from real network scenarios; the App Validation Engine (AVE) acts as an App ‘IQ test’ to validate if the proposed changes improve RAN efficiency; and geolocation exposes geolocated data to r/xApps including 24/7 insights on spatial distribution and mobility dynamics of subscribers.
- Private Network Intelligence – To support the reliability and quality of service (QoS) requirements of private networks, NITRO Wireless offers signal analysis, timing and synchronisation verification, antenna alignment, fibre certification, and coverage and performance testing from design to operation.
- Network Security – 5G RAN, 5G Core, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), next-generation firewalls, virtual private networks (VPNs), and cloud security solutions need to be compliant against the latest specifications while ensuring network performance remains uncompromised. NITRO Wireless’ open RAN security solution provides test coverage that includes 3GPP SCAS compliance, DoS (Denial-of-Service) and fuzzing attack, O-Cloud resource exhaustion, protocol validation, port scanning, and ‘open fronthaul’ security test.
- Digital Twin – Digital Twins can reduce business risk in multiple ways. Test software updates and introduce new services in a safe environment to pre-empt failures when deployed in the live network. NITRO Wireless Digital Twins combine tools, such as RAN and Core emulators, assurance solutions, realistic traffic scenarios, and cyber threats, to mirror an operator’s network in the lab. The move allows network changes and challenges to be planned and implemented with results analysed before action is taken on the live network.
- Military Communications – NITRO Wireless integration and test portfolio offers complete end-to-end and subsystem testing of 5G private military radio and core networks. These can be deployed on the ground, via HAPs or via satellite.
“While 5G offers new opportunities with an exciting potential to offer connectivity and amidst the race to deploy these networks, it’s vital that reliability, stability, and performance testing are done to ensure success. Network resiliency requirements, complexity, and risk thresholds are introducing new dynamics,” said Shamik Mishra, CTO for connectivity at Capgemini Engineering. “We are very happy to work closely with VIAVI at our ‘5G-Lab-As-A-Service’ in Portugal and global O-RAN engagements to leverage the potential of this emerging technology and contribute to harmonise efforts for connectivity-driven transformation across the industry.”
“We’re excited to work with VIAVI on helping move the industry forward to accelerate the adoption of Open RAN,” said Lakshmi Mandyam, vice president, service provider product management and partner ecosystem at VMware. “Our companies share a vision of what it will take to address the challenges hindering adoption by simplifying the path for CSPs to test, profile, and certify third-party xApps and rApps through a common framework. VIAVI’s leadership in Open RAN testing and VMware’s leadership in RIC make this an ideal collaboration.”
“With each generation, networks grow more layered, disaggregated, and complex,” said Ian Langley, senior vice president for VIAVI’s Wireless Business Unit. “NITRO Wireless cuts through the technology fog with cloud intelligence and automation based on VIAVI’s trusted expertise in performance validation, so our customers can stay focused on the drivers of the top and bottom line.”
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