Spirent Communications topped off its open RAN test and assurance portfolio with the release of distributed unit (DU) and RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) products.

James Kimery, VP of product management, told Mobile World Live (MWL) disaggregation of the RAN allowed Spirent to do real-time wraparound, or nodal testing, of the various components, including distributed, radio and centralised units using test libraries, automation and emulators.

While open RAN has the potential to break-up legacy single vendor networks with components from various companies, it has made testing more complex than traditional approaches, placing a bigger integration burden on operators and requiring interfaces to connect the various elements.

Wraparound testing enables a customer to test an individual element while Spirent emulates all of the system’s other elements.

Kimery told MWL the approach allows new entrants to test their specific open RAN products without needing expertise on the entire network.

Spirent uses an API to connect to the interfaces for the various tests, which can be viewed on a single screen. The vendor’s automation test capabilities work across laboratories, live networks and pre-production environments.

“Automation is critically important,” Kimery stated. “As the complexity of these networks increases, the way to simplify and speed time to market is automation.”

The vendor’s open RAN test products also include radio and centralised units released in 2022.