Network emulation solution adds cellular IoT testing
The new TeraVM virtual Radio Access Network (vRAN) CIoT module can emulate over 16 million IoT devices via narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and CAT-M connections in a fully virtualized environment. The new testing capabilities, says the company, lets operators, vendors, and service providers test and future-proof their networks for the development and commercialization of the Internet of Things (IoT).
It enables users to test the ability of their networks to support the huge array of current and potential connected IoT end-points, the company says, while delivering consistent, reliable connectivity for traditional mobile voice and data services. The module forms part of the company’s 3GPP-compliant RANtoCore end-to-end test platform, which validates networking performance from the radio access network (RAN) to the core via the mobile edge.
TeraVM’s CIoT support, says the company, addresses a number of key challenges facing operators and ISPs as the IoT continues to scale at a rapid rate. IoT devices generate relatively small amounts of data, yet their increasing number is set to stress network signaling nodes in a way not experienced previously.
Unlike data and voice, traffic generated by these connected end-points is unpredictable and largely unknown. TeraVM is designed to offer a scalable, automated, and cost-effective solution by emulating and predicting these scenarios in a lab, data center, or cloud environment the company says.
“This marks the next stage of network testing, and one which is crucial for a connected future built on smart cities and connected cars,” says Ultan Kelly, Senior Product Director, VIAVI Solutions. “Using TeraVM, operators can now test their networks by simulating mobile and data traffic in a city like London or New York, plus the volume and diversity of traffic from millions of IoT end-points, which will stress a different part of their infrastructure in a wholly new way.”
The TeraVM vRAN CIoT solution is available now, and is currently in use by a number of operators and major service providers. The module can be integrated into a current network design, or can recommend the point at which a new network slice should be introduced, in order to tailor quality of service and dedicate resources to a specific IoT use case.