NTT DOCOMO to use Spirent technology for O-RAN ecosystem testing

5G Core emulation at the heart of O-RAN compliance, performance, and interoperability testing

Spirent Communications, provider of test and assurance solutions for next-generation devices and networks, today announced that NTT DOCOMO, INC. is using Spirent technology for its 5G Open RAN Ecosystem (OREC) testing. Utilizing Spirent’s O-RAN capabilities, NTT DOCOMO is testing the O-RAN for multi-vendor interoperability and real-world performance to support the implementation of Open RANs. 

Doug Roberts, general manager of Spirent Lifecycle Service Assurance said, “Customers like NTT DOCOMO have an excellent opportunity to leverage O-RAN to build a true multi-vendor network that drives increased innovation to deliver unique and differentiated services to their customers, however, due to the complexity involved, operators need to ensure that the O-RAN technology functions and performs as expected. Spirent technology provides that validation.”

“Because O-RAN is a disaggregated network, each O-RAN function needs to be tested independently, as well as with the adjacent functions together, and then end-to-end,” said Sadayuki Abeta, Corporate Evangelist at NTT DOCOMO . “Emulation in particular is a critical element of any O-RAN testbed and Spirent is the market leader in this area. Including its technology as a key component of OREC testing will ensure operators can gain confidence in their O-RAN deployments,” Abeta added.

In accordance with Spirent, its solutions provide the most comprehensive library of 5G testing features and functions, while they can also scale in terms of users and performance. The combination of the portfolio focused on the O-RAN testing challenges provides the most complete, integrated solutions for addressing the O-RAN market specifically designed and tailored for functional and performance testing. 

The OREC project leverages NTT DOCOMO ’s expertise and the capabilities of major global vendors. It provides open labs that enable mobile network operators to become familiar with the OREC ecosystem and test multivendor solutions. The OREC project promotes the interoperability and commercialization of vRAN solutions conforming to the O-RAN Alliance standards.