Most complete portfolio for O-RAN performance and multi-vendor interoperability testing

Spirent Communications plc (LSE: SPT), the leading provider of test and assurance solutions for next-generation devices and networks, today announced its release of end-to-end, O-DU, and RIC testing, completing its O-RAN test solution portfolio. Building upon its previously available O-CU and O-RU test solutions, Spirent now offers the most robust and realistic O-RAN testing, a move that will help accelerate widespread O-RAN adoption. Spirent’s comprehensive testing approach and 5G ecosystem expertise will ensure O-RAN functionality, interoperability, and field-ready performance.

“O-RAN has great potential to introduce new use cases and innovation while lowering costs, but only if its performance and business model deliver as promised,” says James Kimery, VP of product management for Spirent’s Lifecycle Service Assurance business. “With all the opportunity O-RAN has unlocked, it’s made testing more complex than traditional RAN approaches and placed a greater testing burden downstream to carriers and network operators who must integrate various vendor systems.

“That’s why we’ve focused on offering a simplified and automated approach with fully integrated solutions, pre-built test cases, and centralized control via one user interface, regardless of the type of test performed,” explains Kimery. “Additionally, our O-RAN solutions cover today’s established industry standard testing and push beyond to ensure the requirements for superior carrier-grade, production-ready criteria are met to ensure deployment success.”

Spirent’s unique O-RAN portfolio provides the following:

• Comprehensive multi-vendor interoperability and advanced performance testing using real-time emulation - Spirent offers the most thorough, reliable, and realistic testing using comprehensive test portfolios and real-time (bi-directional) emulation, which most accurately reflects a live, real-world O‑RAN environment.
• Automation - Spirent’s O-RAN solutions provide pre-built test libraries across performance, resiliency, security, compliance, and more with a fully integrated system with open APIs. Additionally, the solution is designed to plug-and-play seamlessly into any automation pipeline.
• Single User Experience - O-RAN testing requires a variety of testing and emulation approaches, which Spirent has integrated into the industry’s only system managed through a single user experience, regardless of the testing type being executed.

“The complexity of Open RAN and 5G require new automated testing methodologies that validate real-world performance and robustness,” said Caroline Gabriel, research director at Analysys Mason. “Spirent’s O-RAN portfolio provides comprehensive, integrated solutions that are specifically designed and tailored for functional and performance testing of the multi-vendor RAN.”

As a well-established Spirent customer, Mavenir was an early purchaser of Spirent’s O-RAN solutions. “Spirent is a key contributor to Mavenir’s success in validating our Open RAN components are market-ready,” said John Baker, SVP of business development at Mavenir. “Spirent provides the real-time and real-world emulation capabilities we require to feel confident pre-deployment and we look forward to continued collaboration for successful future rollouts.”

“Emulation comes to the forefront as a critical technology of any O-RAN testbed. Spirent is the market leader in real-time emulation, from the 5G Core, to individual O-RAN components, to the RF environment. Functional and performance tests of any of these components must have real emulation in real-time, at performance and at scale. Combined with industry-leading automation through a simplified user interface, this comprehensive O-RAN portfolio reduces test time while increasing test coverage and enabling CI/CD processes,” said Kimery.

For more information, visit https://www.spirent.com/solutions/open-ran-testing

About Spirent

Spirent Communications plc. (LSE: SPT) is the leading global provider of automated test and assurance solutions for networks, cybersecurity, and positioning. The company provides innovative products, services and managed solutions that address the test, assurance, and automation challenges of a new generation of technologies, including 5G, SD-WAN, cloud, autonomous vehicles and beyond. From the lab to the real world, Spirent helps companies deliver on their promise to their customers of a new generation of connected devices and technologies. For more information visit www.spirent.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About Mavenir

Mavenir is building the future of networks and pioneering advanced technology, focusing on the vision of a single, software-based automated network that runs on any cloud. As the industry’s only end-to-end, cloud-native network software provider, Mavenir is focused on transforming the way the world connects, accelerating software network transformation for 250+ Communications Service Providers and Enterprises in over 120 countries, which serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers.

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Spirent announces a full suite of integrated solutions to simplify end-2-end O-RAN testing and validation - the industry's most complete portfolio for O-RAN performance and multi-vendor interoperability testing #ORAN