Viavi Solutions has officially opened its Viavi Automated Lab-as-a-Service (VALOR) Open RAN testing facility in Chandler, Arizona, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by senior management, customers, partners, and government officials. The facility, funded by a grant from the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, aims to enhance Open RAN interoperability, performance, and security, Viavi said on Tuesday.
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Testing Solutions with Pay-as-You-Go Model
The company says VALOR provides a fully automated, impartial Lab-as-a-Service and Test-as-a-Service suite designed to democratise access to testing capabilities, which were previously limited to large industry players. With a “pay-as-you-go” model, it enables new entrants and startups to pursue US certification without significant investments in hardware and software.
"VALOR addresses the challenges to accelerate Open RAN adoption and encourage competition by providing access to test capabilities that, typically, have only been within the reach of large, established players," Viavi said.
This facility complements existing industry testing labs and is the first authorised service by the Telecom Infra Project for system performance certification. A dedicated online portal that allows customers to schedule tests and generate performance reports.
Collaboration Enhances Testing Capabilities
VALOR also integrates technologies, including the NITRO Wireless Open RAN Test Suite and the VAMOS (Viavi Automation Management and Orchestration System) unified framework, alongside collaborations with partners like Rohde and Schwarz and ETS-Lindgren for comprehensive testing solutions, TelecomTalk previously reported.
"Opening of the VALOR lab is an important step in democratising Open RAN testing for technology vendors by providing them with rapid access to comprehensive end-to-end solutions for everything from product development to performance stress tests," said Oleg Khaykin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Viavi.
"Supporting the services of existing industry test labs, VALOR closes existing test gaps and is set to play a key role in accelerating Open RAN adoption and encouraging new entrants to the Open RAN ecosystem."
lso Read: Viavi and TIP Collaborate to Advance Open RAN Testing
Over 500 Test Cases Available
Offering over 500 test cases compliant with O-RAN and 3GPP specifications, VALOR supports various testing services, including performance validation and scenario testing, the company said.
Sarah Skaluba, NTIA Special Policy Advisor, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the critical role of testing in ensuring Open RAN's success.
