In an interview with TimesTech, Rajesh Rao, Regional VP, Asia Pacific South at VIAVI Solutions, highlights the company’s innovative test and measurement solutions for 5G, fiber networks, and Open RAN at IMC 2024. These cutting-edge technologies are designed to ensure the optimization, reliability, and security of networks, while also driving advancements in 6G and AI.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: What are the key T&M solutions VIAVI is showcasing at IMC this year?
Rajesh: At IMC 2024, VIAVI is showcasing its ground-breaking solutions in the following areas:
• 5G and Open RAN: Market-leading 5G and Open RAN test and validation solutions for conformance, performance and interoperability of O-RU, O-CU, O-DU, RIC and Core elements – available in the lab, through the cloud or as a service.
• Cell Site Installation and Network Monitoring: VIAVI OneAdvisor 800 equip technicians and contractors to deliver smart, fault-free cell site installation and maintenance. Optical Network Management System (ONMSi) accurately detects and locates fiber degradation, alerting operators with the details of faults. NITRO Fiber Sensing swiftly identifies and pinpoints threats for critical infrastructure ranging from oil, gas and water pipelines to electrical power transmission, border/perimeter security and data center interconnects.
• Network Security: Open Fronthaul security test, specifications tests (SCAS, 3GPP), 5G Core firewall security, PQC test solutions, part of the NITRO Wireless Security Suite.
• 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Validation: The comprehensive VIAVI NTN suite overcomes the technical challenges of 5G NTN, providing assurance that new NTN constellations perform reliably while conforming to 3GPP Release 18 and beyond. You can evaluate with a Digital Twin, test with real devices (gNB or UE), and confidently deploy with OTA test (in orbit).
• Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT): The VIAVI PNT-6200 Series, provides maximum resiliency for critical infrastructure dependent on positioning and timing, by supplementing or even replacing GPS signals with connectivity to the broadest range of timing sources in the market.
• 6G Forward: VIAVI is advancing wireless technology with its strides in 6G and AI research, part of the 6G Forward Program. From full AI neural receivers, new waveforms to advanced multiple access techniques, our work promises dynamic adaptability in future network deployments.
TimesTech: VIAVI is known for its expertise in test and measurement solutions. So, how do these solutions contribute to validating and optimizing 5G networks?
Rajesh: As networks become more complex and layered, a focus on measuring and assuring experiences from the user perspective – by emulating usage scenarios modeled on real network data – generates the essential intelligence to simplify the delivery of new technology.
Wireless technologies are increasingly augmenting traditional terrestrial communication networks, with satellite communications helping to provide near-complete coverage. Satellite communication in 5G brings another level of complexity for testing. Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) need to be reliable to cope with the distance, speed and mobility of both satellite, High Altitude Platforms (HAPs) and User Equipment (UE), while still delivering on performance. VIAVI test platforms validate the conformance, performance and reliability for 5G and 6G satellite communications.
5G is not just wireless, there is fiber in the front-haul, fiber in the back-haul, and then you have several layers. We look at layer one through layer seven, and RAN to core, from lab to field, and validation to optimization. Our innovative testing solutions and technologies empower our customers—from data centers to service providers and contractors—to efficiently manage the construction, installation, and maintenance of complex fiber networks.
Committed to the growth of 5G ecosystem in India, VIAVI has 5G testing solutions spanning across lab validation, network deployment, automation, and optimization.
TimesTech: Fiber rollout is set to grow exponentially. What role does fiber testing play in helping customers scale and maintain critical fiber infrastructure?
Rajesh: Fiber testing involves a range of procedures, tools, and benchmarks employed to assess fiber optic components, links, and networks in operation. It encompasses both optical and mechanical evaluations of individual elements, as well as thorough transmission tests conducted to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of entire fiber network setups. Efficient testing processes across the network lifecycle saves time and cost in the long run, while ensuring a better quality of network and service for the end-customer.
VIAVI’s fiber testing portfolio encompasses full range of essential instruments, systems and software, required to address today’s fastest growing technologies and functional needs, providing end-to-end support for the construction, activation, monitoring and maintenance of fiber optic services. VIAVI has equipped wireline and wireless service providers, equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and contractors to meet the work-speed and test coverage requirements for telecommunication networks buildouts and maintenance.
TimesTech: There is an increased demand for advanced monitoring and sensing solutions across various industries. How does Fiber sensing help and what are the key drivers?
Rajesh: Fiber optic sensing systems assist critical infrastructure ranging from telecommunication services, oil, gas and water pipelines to mining, marine applications, electrical power transmission and data center interconnects in optimizing efficiency and implementing preventive protection and security. Fiber sensing technology involves the integration of optical fibers within the infrastructure to monitor various physical parameters in real time that can prevent outages, avoid costly repairs to critical infrastructure and help in faster restoration.
NITRO fiber sensing
NITRO fiber sensing is an integrated real-time asset monitoring and analytics solution for critical infrastructure. Comprising Distributed temperature sensing (DTS), Distributed temperature and strain sensing (DTSS) and Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technologies, NITRO fiber sensing provides the critical intelligence needed to swiftly identify and locate threats.
Using remote Fiber test heads (FTH), commonly known as interrogators to monitor fiber optic cables or fiber-enabled infrastructure, NITRO fiber sensing measures temperature and strain along a fiber or detect acoustic vibrations close to a fiber in real time. NITRO fiber sensing offers solutions for industries like:
Power Transmission – real-time thermal rating (RTTR) and cable temperature, cable exposure and depth of burial and third-party interference.
Pipeline Infrastructure – real-time asset monitoring, leak detection and localization, and third-party interference detection.
Telecoms Infrastructure – cable health monitoring, smart cities and environment, plus detection of third-party interference with DCI.
Protection & Security – real-time perimeter monitoring, people and vehicle, tunnelling and excavation detection.
TimesTech: How does VIAVI contribute in enabling the Open RAN ecosystem?
Rajesh: Open RAN is being adopted by operators and equipment manufacturers worldwide to reduce infrastructure deployment cost and lower the barrier to entry for new product innovation. Creating seamless interoperability in a multi-vendor, open ecosystem introduces new test, management and integration challenges that require diligence and co-operation to overcome.
Operators and integrators need to validate that the technology all works together before it goes into the live network, which requires more than testing the interoperability of various vendor components. Operators also need to validate how the technology interacts with legacy equipment in the network, as well as how it responds to different user equipment environments. Another challenge that operators face is how to solve network issues after the network has been deployed. Unlike a traditional single-vendor network, it is more difficult to identify product-related network performance issues in a multi-vendor environment.
We provide capabilities for testing both individual O-RU, O-DU, O-CU and near-RT RIC network elements, and full end-to-end open network validation. We deliver integrated solutions to validate that all interfaces work correctly, and the equipment performs to the specifications in both single and multi-vendor network and when under load.
VIAVI has developed an end-to-end Open RAN portfolio encompassing robust test, verification and assurance solutions from RAN to Core that span the entire Open RAN lifecycle and we are working closely with CSPs and NEMs to help ensure interoperability, manageability, optimization and end-to-end performance of networks based on Open RAN architecture.
VIAVI has opened its Automated Lab-as-a-Service (VALOR) Open RAN testing facility which is funded by a grant from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). VALOR offers a fully automated, open and impartial Lab-as-a-Service / Test-as-a-Service suite for Open RAN interoperability, performance and security. VALOR brings together the NITRO Wireless Open RAN Test Suite, the VAMOS (VIAVI Automation Management and Orchestration System) unified framework for hybrid physical and cloud lab testing, and technologies from industry-leading partners.
TimesTech: The potential impact of 6G is significant. What are the upcoming advances in 6G?
Rajesh: Accelerating research and development of AI driven solutions for future generations of wireless communication, VIAVI is working on several projects driving 6G and advancing wireless technology with its strides in 6G and AI research, through the 6G Forward Program. The 6G Forward Program is accelerating technology evolution through a combination of proprietary research within the VIAVI Marconi Labs (VML), specializing in wireless technology research, innovation, and testing, and support of academic labs around the globe.
VIAVI’s research collaborations with the Institute for Wireless Internet of Things and the Open6G cooperative research center at Northeastern University have resulted in creating a 6G city-scale digital twin. Powered by advanced AI and machine learning (ML) technologies, it plays a crucial role in training components like the 6G AI-Native Air Interface, enhancing our understanding of network dynamics and performance.
VIAVI is involved in various research and development projects which underscores its dedication to 6G advancement and has collaborated with organizations like the O-RAN ALLIANCE, one6G, the 5-6 innovation center, leading educational institutions and the DSIT ONE research project, which received a significant research grant from the UK government, to name a few.
