Viavi Solutions has introduced an upgrade to its CellAdvisor Base Station Analyzer that will help eliminate the need for repeat site visits and tower climbs during cell site installation.
According to Viavi, the upgrade now allows for baseband unit (BBU) emulation, enabling the ability to conduct comprehensive tests during the initial remote radio head (RRH) installations at cell sites.
“Mobile service providers worldwide have standardized on CellAdvisor for its test functionality, ease of use, portability and cost effectiveness,” said Viavi’s general manager of Wireless Solutions Jim Nerschook. “They’ve asked us to extend that value proposition to enable comprehensive cell site testing, in order to minimize cost, time to market, downtime and risks to technician safety. BBU emulation is the answer they’ve been looking for.”
Rather than installing the RRh and BBU separately over two different site visits, operators can now use CellAdvisor to conduct tests, identify and address problems on the first visit, the company said. Following installation of the radio, Viavi said, technicians can now put it on the air to verify performance of, or identify problems with equipment (radio, antennas, coaxial cables) or the radio environment, including external interference, noise or passive inter-modulation.
These diagnostics could formerly only be performed after the BBU had been installed, which could take up to 30 days after the radio installation, Viavi said.
According to Nerschook, several Tier-1 customers have already upgraded to the latest version of CellAdvisor with the new capabilities.
Filed Under: Infrastructure
