VIAVI Solutions is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for communication networks, cloud, hyperscale and enterprise data centers to mission-critical avionics, industrial, automotive, transportation, military, railway and aerospace.
In this interview, Vaishali Umredkar, Executive Editor from Electronics Maker speaks with Rajesh Rao, Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific South, Network and Service Enablement at VIAVI Solutions about the evolving test and measurement industry, the complexities of 5G and Open RAN, and how VIAVI is driving innovation in network performance, security, and fiber infrastructure.
How has the test and measurement industry evolved in the last decade, and what pivotal changes are currently shaping its landscape?
The Indian 5G ecosystem is growing rapidly and communication service providers (CSPs) are strengthening their 5G capabilities. India is a significant market, with a long-term growth path. The government has implemented specific schemes to accelerate the entire 5G ecosystem. Also with Bharat 6G Mission, India aims to spearhead advancements in 6G technology. India has achieved remarkable progress in digital connectivity. The government’s focus on creating a collaborative platform to promote indigenous technologies, propelled by ambitious policy reforms, the telecom landscape is shifting at a rapid pace.
The test requirements and unique installation challenges for new 5G cell sites and RAN deployments is boosting the demand for T&M solutions and VIAVI plays a significant role through installation, maintenance, monitoring, optimization, and monetization. It is a significant moment for us to be here as we extend our capabilities to enable these networks.
The demand for test and measurement equipment market has witnessed consistent growth over the years and it is driven by rapid growth of technologies and diverse applications. Automotive, aerospace & defense, data centers, enterprises, telecommunications, semiconductor and critical infrastructure are some of the key segments driving demand for T&M solutions.
The rise of hyperscale ecosystem and cloudification is blurring the lines between networks and applications, while 5G technologies are pushing more intelligence to the edge of the network. AI is enabling a myriad of potential applications and transforming the way we live and work. In the telecommunications industry, Open RAN is being adopted by operators and equipment manufacturers to reduce infrastructure deployment cost and lower the barrier to entry for new product innovation. With developments underway, 6G will be no exception but promises leaps in efficiency and extended capability. Further, wireless technologies are increasingly augmenting traditional terrestrial communication networks with satellite communications helping to provide near-complete coverage, thus shaping T&Ms landscape.
The 5G era has brought more complex networks. How is VIAVI simplifying testing amidst the growing complexity?
As networks become more layered, disaggregated and complex, the need for businesses to effectively manage and optimize the performance of their networks is increasingly critical. VIAVI empowers network operators, equipment manufacturers, enterprises, government, aerospace, and railways with intuitive instruments, intelligence, and insights and committed to support all the ecosystem players in their efforts to develop more robust and flexible network infrastructures that meet the current and future demands of the digital economy.
Digital transformation has set the industry on the journey to realize a new operational model that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and network orchestration and automation. Enabling the industry to address the challenges of maximizing development, productivity and speed to market, VIAVI offers the most comprehensive portfolio of end-to-end test and assurance solutions for lab validation, network implementation and optimization across 5G, Fiber, and Cloud.
VIAVI NITRO Wireless test suite offers products, solutions and services to enable all participants in the ecosystem – NEMs, CSPs, semiconductor companies, software developers and system integrators – to accelerate technology development by validating performance at each stage in intelligent, intuitive and automated ways. NITRO Wireless brings together proven performance and interoperability test platforms used throughout the industry for 3GPP and O-RAN with cloud, intelligence, automation, and digital twin technology.
As one of the earliest contributors to Open RAN industry initiatives, VIAVI has established the leading E2E Open RAN portfolio encompassing robust RAN and core test solutions, accelerating next-gen Open RAN networks through active participation in cross functional forums across the telecom landscape.
Also, we offer complete solutions for testing avionics. VIAVI’s avionics test products are used world-wide by designers, engineers and maintenance personnel to manufacture, test and maintain avionics systems.
As the industry embraces the 5G revolution, addressing the associated security challenges is crucial. How do test solutions help in mitigating security risks?
When deploying 5G networks, whether NSA, SA or based on O-RAN specifications, it is important to ensure that the network is not just performing at maximum efficiency but is highly secure.
5G networks are far more digitized than previous generations – virtualization, cloud hosting and new services like; network slicing make the networks less centralized and more software-led than ever before. This has security implications not seen before in LTE, so testing needs to be a priority to identify potential vulnerabilities. Also, the virtualization of edge, 5G core and RAN gives operators more flexibility when building networks; however, it involves numerous different parties in the development process. This results in more entry points and higher chances of misconfigurations.
5G RAN, 5G Core, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Next Generation Firewalls, VPN and cloud security solutions all need to be compliant against the latest specifications, while ensuring network performance remains uncompromised. VIAVI offers an end-to-end portfolio encompassing robust tests, verification and assurance solutions for all aspects of the 5G network. VIAVI NITRO Wireless Open RAN Security Solution provides test coverage that includes 3GPP SCAS compliance, DoS and fuzzing attack, O-Cloud resource exhaustion, protocol validation, port scanning and open fronthaul security test.
How does VIAVI contribute in enabling the Open RAN ecosystem?
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.
Fiber rollout is set to grow exponentially. What role does fiber testing play in helping customers scale and maintain critical fiber infrastructure?
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.
What are VIAVI’s future growth strategies?
Telecommunications is clearly a major focus, covering technology development in the lab and in the field, network product integration and subsequent optimization and monetization. While we serve a remarkably diverse set of industries, certain areas stand out due to their critical role in the evolving technology landscape. We are actively engaging in aerospace and defence networks, satellite communications, AI, cyber security, data centres and enterprise solutions. Testing needs continue to advance rapidly as Open RAN enters the mainstream of network infrastructure, and the industry incorporating NTN to augment coverage in mobile communications. Enabling the industry to address challenges of maximizing development, productivity and speed to market, VIAVI is working closely with network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) and service providers (SPs) to help them streamline the complex process of validating new technologies in the lab and in the field and to efficiently deploy and turn up new technologies.
