Already packed with unmatched DSn/PDH, SONET/SDH, Ethernet and Fibre Channel test features, the NetBlazer series now becomes the only multiservice testing solution on the market to provide frontline technicians with such powerful capabilities and simplicity in a single handheld unit. Since NetBlazer modules are housed in the FTB-1 platform, which is compatible with the EXFO Connect environment for automated hardware and data management, the new functionalities can be enabled via a simple on-site software upgrade.
With the ever-increasing demand for over-the-top applications and the stress it generates on the network, operators are forced to rethink their operational processes with three objectives in mind: remaining competitive, optimizing customer satisfaction and maximizing their revenues. One way of doing so is to modernize their infrastructure by introducing new technologies such as fibre-to-the-antenna for greater mobile-network efficiency, and by offering OTN as a service for more network flexibility and performance.
The CPRI/OBSAI standards define the protocols to be used between the eNodeB and the remote radio heads. They remove the obligation to have the base station directly adjacent to the antenna on rooftops or other difficult locations; instead, the base station can be installed in much less challenging locations where size, climate and availability of power are much more easily managed.
OTN technology was designed to combine the advantages of SONET/SDH and the bandwidth-expansion capabilities offered by dense wavelength-division multiplexing. OTN benefits include enhanced operation, administration and maintenance processes, a universal container supporting all service types, a standard multiplexing hierarchy, and end-to-end optical transport transparency of customer traffic.
“Bringing leading-edge test functions such as CPRI/OBSAI and OTN into the NetBlazer truly demonstrates EXFO’s leadership position and its focus on making the field technician’s everyday job simpler and more productive,” said Étienne Gagnon, Vice-President of EXFO’s Test and Measurement Division. “By continuously adding new test functionalities and enabling hassle-free software upgrades, EXFO is strongly committed to making the FTB-880 NetBlazer Multiservice Tester the industry’s ultimate future-proof test tool.”