Spirent A-BeiDou Location Technology Solution is First and Only Test Platform to Achieve GCF Certification

San Jose, Calif. – December 21, 2016 – Spirent Communications, the leading provider of mobile network, service, and device test solutions, today announced that their mobile device Location Technology Solution (LTS) has passed Assisted BeiDou (A-BeiDou) certification from the 3GPP Global Certification Forum (GCF). The GCF is jointly established by multiple operators, mobile device vendors, test solution providers, and testing facilities. This certification follows 3GPP A-BeiDou positioning technology test cases TS 37.571-1, chapter 7, subtest 10, as the testing specification. Spirent LTS is the only A-BeiDou testing platform in the market with this GCF certification.

A-BeiDou technology allows wireless devices to achieve a faster positioning fix by augmenting the Chinese BeiDou satellite signals with information from the cellular network. In early 2013, China began to advance the international standardization of A-BeiDou and in September 2015, 3GPP officially released the BeiDou positioning technology standards and performance standards for mobile communication systems. The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) SUPL standard also added BeiDou positioning in 2015.

China has been committed to promoting BeiDou-compatible satellite navigation functions to become standard configurations in smartphones and smart navigation devices. Eighty-one percent of  devices that applied for network access license testing in China by August 31, 2016, support positioning functions, yet only 21 percent support BeiDou positioning (source: GSA). Although A-BeiDou has obvious advantages over traditional BeiDou positioning, only a small portion of these devices support A-BeiDou. This is in sharp contrast to A-GPS positioning, which is supported by all smartphones. This disparity has drawn attention and concern from many industrial experts. The Spirent LTS GCF certification will help boost the application and development of A-BeiDou in wireless devices.

 “As an industry-leading test solution provider, Spirent pioneered A-BeiDou testing,” said Clarke Ryan, senior director of Spirent Communications’ Connected Devices business. “A-BeiDou deployment will greatly enhance the positioning capabilities of wireless devices whether depoyed in China or other regions. Along with this solution, Spirent also offers an A-BeiDou Over-the-Air test solution that satisfies CTIA specifications, providing customers with a one-stop A-BeiDou test solution.” 

For more information on Spirent mobile device positioning solutions, please visit http://www.spirent.com/Solutions/Wireless-Device-Location-Technologies.