Come, come, let me show you how to try the O-RAN test buffet

Mobile communication operators first introduced the concept of open radio access network (O-RAN) in 2018, hoping to use O-RAN to build a multi-network equipment supplier system to enhance technological innovation and reduce costs.

Around this new technology concept, 27 global MNOs and more than 180 ecosystem contributors formed the O-RAN Alliance to jointly develop specifications, reference architectures, and organizations that define interfaces between the various subcomponents of O-RAN. The core principles of the O-RAN Alliance are openness, intelligence, virtualization, and interoperability.

O-RAN Reference Architecture

(Source: O-RAN Alliance)

Keysight Technologies has launched the "KORA" test solution for O-RAN , which makes O-RAN testing worry-free and provides complete end-to-end coverage. We can compare the test items to different dishes at a buffet. You only need to choose the combination according to your taste.

To be more specific: Keysight's end-to-end Open RAN architecture solution is a software tool suite tailored for chip manufacturers, software protocol stack developers, network equipment manufacturers, mobile operators and Open Test and Integration Center (OTIC), allowing everyone to perform consistency testing, interoperability testing, performance testing and security testing throughout the product life cycle.

• Chip Designer Kit

• Network Equipment Manufacturer Kit

• Operator Kit

• OTIC Suite (Open Wireless Test and Integration Center)

The test plan is in the form of a buffet, which enables free combination of tastes/demands and easy customization of the workflow.

Different "buffet" combinations are launched for different users in the industry to form different packages. Different test solutions are flexibly combined to meet the different test tastes of everyone. There are RU, CU, DU; function, performance, consistency and security, etc.

Support enables chipset vendors to use O-RAN simulation tools to verify that O-RAN designs comply with O-RAN specifications before finalizing the design, thereby reducing development time.

Support open RAN hardware and software vendors in O-RAN specification conformance and interoperability verification, ensuring that every function is integrated into a multi-vendor open RAN as expected.

Enables mobile operators to validate the conformance, interoperability and performance of subsystems through which they can create revenue opportunities for new 5G services.

Support OTIC to validate conformance, interoperability and performance through a thorough, repeatable and automated process using tools that comply with the O-RAN specification.