Blue Danube Systems has used the R&S QualiPoc smartphone-based mobile network optimization platform to characterize performance at multiple commercial LTE deployments of its BeamCraft 500 advanced massive MIMO system.
Blue Danube’s portfolio of Massive MIMO products generate agile beams for unparalleled accuracy in dynamic spectrum power placement. Built on its High Definition Active Antenna System (HDAAS) technology, BeamCraft products dramatically improve data capacity of existing LTE networks by dynamically directing radio frequency (RF) beams where mobile traffic is highest and enhancing user experience on today's smartphones. Through the unique level of control of its 96 active antenna elements, the BeamCraft 500 provides ultra-sharp RF energy control, enabling unprecedented resolution of hotspots and optimization of cell edges.
In each of these deployments, Rohde & Schwarz's QualiPoc Android platform was used to perform sophisticated test functions for voice, data, and video to capture the real end user experience on mobile radio networks in real-time. QualiPoc is an app developed by R&S that can be installed on commercial Android smartphones to test all mobile network technologies used worldwide. It covers multiple protocol layers as well as the IP stack in realtime. QualiPoc Android provides extensive test functions for voice, including MOS and VoLTE, data, video streaming including video MOS, messaging and application service tests (Facebook, Dropbox) to assess quality of service and reflect the real end-user experience within a mobile network.
The comprehensive technology captures the current network situation on the same devices used by end users, thus providing a true, authentic map of the performance of the mobile radio network and its services offered.
Utilized in conjunction with Blue Danube's cloud-based software platform BeamPlanner, QualiPoc validated gains as high as 10X in average throughput and up to 20X in dynamic video performance in live FDD-LTE networks. By mapping performance over multiple sectors, QualiPoc additionally confirmed signal quality improvements of up to 7 dB were achieved for average video traffic at cell edges without increasing power requirements.
Measuring subjective service quality is a challenging task that requires expertise and specialized knowledge. More than half of today's data traffic is driven by increasingly pervasive video apps. 5G will take this to even a higher level. As the premier handheld troubleshooter, QualiPoc Android is well positioned to meet the testing needs of both today and the future as we move towards 5G.
