12 Feb 2016

Network optimisation: a case of quality assurance

With much of the demand for fast, reliable and high bandwidth wireless connectivity coming from homes and businesses, testing is crucial to optimising wireless networks in buildings, explains Jordan Schilbach.

The use of mobile broadband data services has increased rapidly with the advent of smartphones and tablets on the broad-base market. In 2015 alone, global mobile data traffic grew by 74 per cent. And the bandwidth required in wireless networks is expected to continue to rise. Technology giant Cisco forecasts a CAGR of 53 per cent from 2015 to 2020.

Network operators have been forced to respond to this trend by further expanding and optimising their networks. In doing so they rely on a variety of strategies:

These strategies take into account that the majority of data traffic is generated in buildings. To improve network quality operators, infrastructure manufacturers and service providers need to get a comprehensive picture of the quality of available wireless networks – as quickly as possible. In Europe, for example, this includes UMTS and GSM in the 900 MHz band and LTE and GSM in the 1800 MHz band, plus UMTS again in the 2100 MHz band and LTE in the 2600 MHz band.