VIAVI expands open RAN lab-as-a-service facility for massive MIMO OTA performance testing

VIAVI solutions announced the expansion of its VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR) testing facility, now featuring a radio frequency (RF) shielded anechoic chamber and two additional customer labs. Located in Chandler, Arizona, the VALOR Lab provides a highly automated, open, and impartial Lab-as-a-Service / Test-as-a-Service suite for Open RAN interoperability, performance, and security. The initiative is funded by the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund.

The newly introduced RF chamber is the industry’s first Test-as-a-Service solution for Massive MIMO and beamforming over-the-air (OTA) validation. It enables system-level Massive MIMO performance testing with up to 16 parallel spatial layers. As an evolution of the Multiple-In Multiple-Out (MIMO) technology used in previous generations of wireless networks, Massive MIMO employs large antenna arrays to support the enhanced data rates and spectral efficiency required by 5G. In contrast to traditional testing methods that rely on electrical cabling between test instruments and the device under test (DUT), OTA testing simplifies the process by placing the DUT in a chamber shielded from external interference and using wireless signals to simulate real-world conditions.

In addition to the RF chamber, two new customer labs are now available. These facilities provide access to over 500 test cases in accordance with O-RAN Working Groups 4, 5, and 11, the Test and Integration Focus Group (TIFG), and 3GPP specifications.

“This expansion addresses the increasing demand for our innovative Open RAN Lab-as-a-Service offering, which helps democratise Open RAN testing for technology vendors by offering a comprehensive, on-demand test suite throughout the product lifecycle,” said Erik Probstfield, Senior Director, VALOR, VIAVI. “With the addition of the new RF chamber, we are pleased to offer OTA testing that supports the acceleration of O-RU commercialisation and innovation.”

The RF chamber has been supplied by ETS-Lindgren, a global leader in wireless OTA performance testing.

VALOR offers conformance, performance, security, and interoperability testing by leveraging VIAVI’s industry-leading NITRO Wireless Open RAN Test Suite, the VAMOS unified framework for hybrid physical and cloud-based testing, and reference O-RAN compliant O-RUs, O-DUs, and O-CUs provided by several trusted partners.

As the first lab to be endorsed by the AI-RAN Alliance, VALOR serves as a central hub for members, promoting innovation and enabling advancements in AI-powered telecommunications. Furthermore, as part of VIAVI’s collaboration with AT&T and Verizon to advance Open RAN testing, VALOR’s full suite of O-RAN tests will be available to customers referred by the ACCoRD initiative.

Complementing many of the industry’s existing testing labs, VALOR enhances readiness for certification, badging, and acceptance testing at OTICs and communications service provider (CSP) labs. It is also the first test service authorised by the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) for its system performance certification programme.