T&M Industry in India : In short term too it is LTE in FY14 !

Since 2012 when several networks in the Continent and the US adopted going to LTE format of one kind or the other , several questions arose on the T&M applications and what were the testing solutions available that time? These questions are not answered even 80% as primarily the nature of the network is still evolving,the standards still getting the template and the 4G infrastructure and devices tethered on these networks are ramping up on various providers.Today, hoever it looks that the operators are settling for a particular version of LTE, local standards are being written as well as the particular standards writing body is fine tuning on various network elements as well as the MIMO scheme. Depending on where your location home base is, the local 4G operator is seeing impact of new age T&M on the network as well as the sensitive T&M manufacturer and developer is releasing versions for LTE test.

The major change here is because of the fact these networks have come away from the TDM/ATM
domain and is following the IP side.The data intensive networks are getting IPified and so the intelligence is more prominent here.So, the thing is Signalling part is changing from AcceSS7 to newer type eg Diameter Signalling in the LTE. The voice is receding on the background as more and more data is riding the devices and the network.Wherever Voice is still to be carried for the Economic Reasons and customer retention,Schemes like VoLTE or CFSB are coming to the fore.So testing these LTE networks impact the testing process and type as well.Besides Signalling,Voice and the Protocol testing other T&M impact happens in the Radio Network interface tests,Conformance testing on the devices and high data rate tests.

Internet address explosion and high scaling therein, the migration from Ipv4 to Ipv6  is also another testing challenge.The compatibilty for IPv6 compliance is necessary as the addresses outnumbe networks ability and special purpose testers will be needed here.The networks in India are supposed to be TDD type with Adv version of LTE eventually to follow.Devices manufacturers like Samsung are now a little sure to have local line of Smartphones in India.A clutch of home grown phone manufacturers are aggressively scaling up the presence, so in the short term too it is Long Term Evolution in India.Couple of mega deals on LTE testing are signed up.Follow this space for more.