Driving Toward Change

Because the traditional method of drive testing is expensive and time-consuming, companies are looking for easier ways to identify network problems.

Classic drive testing requires an engineer or other technician to literally drive around with testing equipment while trying to find and fix specific problems. The drive test allows the engineer to evaluate a coverage area from a subscriber’s point of view and attempt to duplicate problems reported by subscribers.

Understandably, companies want to be able to increase their productivity, and revising the traditional drive test is an important part of that. The evolution of wireless technology toward 3G is prompting more companies to address the problems associated with manual drive testing.

Companies understand that their engineers’ time could be better spent working to prevent problems in the first place rather than waiting for problems to occur. So, automated drive-testing programs are becoming more popular.

“Engineers are expensive and getting harder to find,” said Ted Carrier, Willtech International (visit #8067 or www.willtechintl.com) president & CEO. “Products that can reduce the need for more engineers or minimize the amount of time they spend in less efficient activities is a cost benefit to the organizations responsible for maintaining the performance and quality of the wireless networks.”

But, will drive-testing technicians soon be replaced by a group of virtual robots that search for problems in the coverage area, or will these automated programs simply be companions to traditional testing?

Jim McDaniel, Grayson Wireless (visit #1425 or www.grayson.com) business development director, doesn’t think traditional drive testing will fall by the wayside, even when the industry moves to 3G.

“It’s still going to be important,” he said. “If there are still problems that drive testing is traditionally used to solve, like optimizing or troubleshooting, it’s not a question as to whether it’s a voice situation or a data situation. It’s still something that needs to be addressed by gathering information about the network, as opposed to doing it from a theoretical model perspective.”

Theoretical models are one way to test networks to see whether there’s a coverage problem. But, the models don’t always anticipate every problem, so manual drive testing still must be used if a specific coverage problem develops.

“Even if you can find the right fleet of (robots) to go out and find a decent coverage pattern to test, there’s still going to be problems that have to be collected specifically and optimized from that perspective, and there’s still going to be a drive-test requirement,” he said.

Willtech’s Carrier agreed. His company is working on developing next-generation measurement tools that will be 3G compatible. But, Carrier said, the new tools will only minimize, not replace, manual tests.

“They are a complement to drive testing,” he said.

Both Grayson and Willtech have created monitoring systems that will help reduce the amount of drive testing needed. Grayson’s Invex3G measures quality-of-service factors, including failed origination, dropped calls and poor call quality. The remote mobile diagnostic monitor II (RmDM II) system from Willtech uses remote-controlled diagnostic modules to keep tabs on network performance. Both products try to evaluate the network from subscribers’ points of view, but neither will completely eliminate the need for manual drive testing.

Preparing for 3G technology is important for carriers because network problems are increasing rapidly as wireless use becomes more popular. And, losing a connection halfway through a data transfer could be far more damaging to subscribers than being cut off during a phone conversation.

McDaniel said to compete in a 3G world, companies are working to create technology that will eliminate drive tests. However, to be successful, they are going to need to work with the ongoing wireless data trend, he said.

Carrier suggested that companies are beginning to take 3G seriously. It’s important for them to show that they will be ready when the industry makes the conversion from 2G to 3G, and Wireless 2001 will illustrate that, he said.

“I think there will be a big emphasis on products that are facing and tackling the 3G challenges,” Carrier said.

But just as the industry has been slow to convert from analog to digital, Carrier said the transition to 3G would take longer than some might expect.

“3G will be adopted, but not as rapidly as it has been forecast,” he said.

The challenges associated with the roll-out of 3G will push the capabilities of traditional drive-test systems. But, that doesn’t mean companies must run out and create completely automated testing programs. Instead, a combination of classic drive tests and new 3G-compatible programs seems to be the right mix.

“It’s not an either-or situation,” McDaniel said.

More at the Show:
• GN Nettest’s multiprotocol label-switching (MPLS) testing solution is designed to provide complete functional, conformance, interoperability and emulation test solutions for the research and development labs of carriers and equipment manufacturers. MPLS provides a solution to meet the demanding service requirements for the next generation of IP networks and is expected to improve the price/performance of network routing and scaleability, while providing greater flexibility in the delivery of voice, data and multimedia services.

GN Nettest and ipGen also have announced a complete emulation and performance-testing solution for converged voice over data (VoIP, VToA) networks.

The MEGACO/H.248 interEmulator, developed with the MEGACO protocol stack supplied by ipGen, performs thorough testing of both media gateways and media gateway controllers for VoIP networks by emulating the MEGACO/H.248 signaling protocol. These critical components of VoIP systems permit telephony and multimedia applications on one IP network. The MEGACO/H.248 inter-Emulator allows equipment manufacturers and carriers to conduct performance, interoperability, functional and negative testing of large-scale, next-generation VoIP networks, reducing the cost, risk and time to market for network development, deployment and operation.
Visit #675 or www.gnnettest.com

• Tektronix has announced a compact, modular instrument designed to simplify routine field installation and maintenance measurement tasks in wireless networks.

The NetTekbase station field tool enables installation and maintenance technicians to verify base-station functionality quickly and reliably, even under adverse conditions. Designed as a base-station “tool kit,” the tool serves the purpose of several instruments. The flexible platform allows additional capabilities to be added. Tektronix plans to add a base station T1 backhaul link testing option to the tool within six months.
Visit #3452 or www.tektronix.com