New Solution Delivers Leading Carrier Aggregation Test Capabilities for Mobile Devices

Sunnyvale, Calif.– February 24, 2015 – Spirent Communications today announced the integration of Keysight Technologies’ UXM platform with the Spirent 8100 Carrier Acceptance and Conformance test solution to offer the most advanced solution for testing maximum data throughput performance for LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation. The new testing coverage supported by the Keysight UXM enables the Spirent 8100 offers cutting-edge capabilities such as three and four component carrier aggregation. With support for both FD-LTE and TD-LTE technologies, it enables operators to address critical test challenges that arise in meeting the demand for higher data rates and greater spectrum utilization.

“Keysight’s UXM allows Spirent’s recently-launched 8100 X202 solution to offer the advanced carrier aggregation test capabilities needed for current and future LTE-Advanced deployments around the world,” said Rob Van Brunt, general manager of Spirent Communications, “With Keysight and Spirent’s combined testing expertise and sophisticated automated testing, integrating the UXM into our 8100 system positions our customers to stay highly competitive.”

Carrier Aggregation is a key element of LTE-Advanced technology that addresses the demand for higher data rates, spectral efficiency and an enhanced user experience. For this reason, leading operators are looking to deploy the technology in their networks on a global scale. Carrier Aggregation is complex – forty-one available bands, numerous combinations of various bandwidths, regional bandwidth requirements, and a wide range of device capabilities from Category 6 to Category 10 – all of which present substantial testing challenges across FDD and TDD LTE networks, resulting in an expected three-fold increase in test cases and duration.

Spirent’s 8100 X202 addresses the capacity crunch that mobile operators and device vendors are facing as additional carrier aggregation tests are being mandated. The 8100 X202 is currently being validated by leading operators in North America and China for carrier aggregation device acceptance testing.

“We are delighted that Spirent has selected the Keysight UXM as the next generation engine in their 8100 platform. Together we’re providing the industry with essential solutions to the latest and most demanding UE test requirements.” said Joe DePond, general manager of Keysight's Mobile Broadband Operation. “The power & extensibility of the UXM, combined with the comprehensive carrier acceptance coverage from Spirent’s 8100 platform, delivers unrivalled data throughput testing performance with scalability up to Category 10 data rates and beyond.”

Spirent’s 8100 solutions are architected to target specific test areas with components optimized for each area. The Keysight UXM joins other key test system elements such as the Spirent E2010S and the new WTS122 from the Elevate Test Framework to enable cost-effective accessibility and scalability of test capabilities.

Spirent is also announcing additional expansion of its 8100 Carrier Acceptance and Conformance portfolio with a new 8100 Q Series platform for higher-layer services testing that reduces time to market and drives down the total cost of ownership by enabling testing of multiple devices in parallel.

Stop by Spirent’s stand (6J37) at Mobile World Congress, March 2-5 in Barcelona to learn more about the latest capabilities enabled by this collaboration.

For more information on the Spirent 8100 X202, visit http://www.spirent.com/Products/8100_LTE