Telecom equipment testing company Viavi Solutions announced the launch of InterferenceAdvisor, an automated interference hunting solution.
Deployment of InterferenceAdvisor can reduce the time – from weeks to hours — to locate mobile network interference sources.
“By our estimates, 71 percent of mobile network operators now have a regular problem with interference,” said Kevin Oliver, vice president and general manager, Converged Instruments and Virtual Test at Viavi Solutions.
Crowded airwaves lead to radio signal interference that negatively affects customer experience. Network densification and the Internet of Things will further accelerate the problem for testing team members.
Mobile phone users near the interference source experience degraded call success rates, increased dropped calls, decreased battery life, poor voice quality, and reduced data throughput.
Viavi, a top testing solutions company, has developed InterferenceAdvisor to enable mobile network operators to anticipate and respond to these challenges, helping to optimize customer experience while managing cost.
InterferenceAdvisor, an automated interference location solution with directions and navigation, offers one of the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) among leading competitors. Viavi competes with Keysight Technologies, Anritsu, R&S, among others.
The new testing solution features a light-weight, portable Omni antenna; an automated interference area indication and navigation guide; voice prompts to direct the cell technician to the suspected interference location; full spectrum control; and display for detailed interference signal monitoring – all managed from a Wi-Fi enabled Android tablet. It includes built-in accessories to minimize the cabling requirement.
“Densification is fundamental for service providers to support traffic loads in high-density locations such as shopping centers, transport hubs and other public areas,” said Monica Paolini, president and founder, Senza Fili Consulting.
Because small cells and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) share spectrum channels with macro cells, interference may negatively impact the customer experience unless operators move to mitigate interference aggressively.
Telecom network operators can set up InterferenceAdvisor easily. The testing solution allows one engineer to quickly and easily locate interference sources, even in an urban environment. The limited resource requirement, reduced time, and minimal training all contribute to the low TCO, said Viavi Solutions.
