Tektronix unveils GPRS solution for GSM networks

BANGALORE: Tektronix, provider of measurement equipment for installation,

conformance testing, maintenance and monitoring of wireless telecommunication

networks, has announced a solution package enabling network operators to deploy

General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) capability in Global System for Mobile

communication (GSM) networks.

The new GPRS operator optimization solution will allow network technical

personnel to pre-test, install and verify interoperability among newly-developed

GPRS elements. This important capability will enable operators to move quickly

to introduce the GPRS infrastructure to support high-speed data, wireless email

and Web browsing and other features that mobile subscribers want.

Addressing multiple levels of testing and monitoring, the GPRS optimization

solution is a whole product offering that supplements the K1205 and K1297

protocol analyzers from Tektronix. The packages include application-specific

software, training, installation (of GPRS tools) and software subscriptions.

In the case of the full-featured premium GPRS package for the K1297 analyzer,

the solution addresses all levels of the GPRS deployment task: simulation and

emulation, monitoring, conformance tests and protocol analysis.

GPRS is a 2.5G technology that is still in its infancy. Equipment makers are

hurrying new network elements to market, and network operators must select and

qualify systems that have never been proven interoperable. The software portion

of the GPRS solution consists of GPRS-specific setups and test sequences, which

transform the two protocol analyzers into easy-to-use tools to support

interoperability testing, monitoring, and/or conformance testing.

The K1297 GPRS packages can emulate GPRS system elements in "test

networks." Operators to evaluate new system elements in a safe environment

that does not impact customer traffic use these networks. The GPRS packages also

support testing of elements in a live network. The monitoring package based on

the K1205 is suited for non-intrusive monitoring of live networks. The package

prepares the instrument to efficiently perform call traces, roaming tests,

network optimization, and other tests on active GPRS networks, without affecting

subscriber traffic.

"Mobile users are anxiously anticipating the convergence of the Internet

and mobile phone technologies, and the benefits this convergence will bring to

their laptops and digital phones," said David Churchill, vice president,

Mobile Communications Business Unit, Tektronix. "The GPRS solution is an

essential element that operators need to rapidly progress from their current

field trials to actually adding new revenue-producing services", he added.