Agilent Introduces VoIP Drive Test Solution

Agilent Technologies introduced a drive test solution for VoIP that allows network equipment manufacturers and wireless service providers to integrate voice-quality measurements with drive test RF data used in the optimization of wireless networks.


The VoIP test sequence is offered as a software upgrade to the company's existing drive test platform, which supports RF measurements for all established wireless technologies. Current Agilent drive test customers can purchase the VoIP solution while protecting their earlier investment in the drive test platform. The new solution provides end-to-end service quality measurements of SIP-based VoIP communication. It works by generating real-time transport protocol (RTP) streams that mimic VoIP traffic. The software takes time-stamped measurements as the RTP traffic flows between two endpoints in the data network. The measurements include R-Factor MOS, packet loss, delay and jitter, and can be automated within the same drive test software that simultaneously measures RF. The VoIP solution works for all established mobile data service such as WiMAX, UMTS, EVDO and will work for LTE as soon as a compliant phone is developed.


"Although carriers are migrating to IP-based networks such as WiMAX and LTE so they can deliver a wide-range of data services, voice will remain the primary source of revenue in the foreseeable future," said Dave Stewart, general manager Drive Test Business with Agilent's Network Solution Division. "Voice quality is the major determinate of customer satisfaction, and operators will not profit from additional services if they can't keep customers with high-quality voice communication. Our solution uses the same database for VoIP and RF measurements and enhances engineers' ability to ensure the quality of all services by correlating voice and RF data."http://www.agilent.com