Fluke Networks: VoLTE testing in high gear

Voice over LTE remains a technical challenge, but several operators expect to have VoLTE operational by the end of this year.
Fluke Networks recently released its latest device for testing LTE and VoLTE networks, aiming to support operators with a neutral perspective on their VoLTE troubleshooting while they ready the networks for launch. Amit Rao, GM of Fluke Networks’ carrier networks busness unit, spoke with RCR Wireless News about the launch timing of its Network Time Machine product, and issues commonly seen in VoLTE.
With the exponential growth of data traffic expected to continue, Rao said, “there’s a big emphasis on making sure that customer experience can still be maintained while the data is growing at a tremendous pace.”
There is also pressure on operators to balance network spending so that they don’t spend too much to manage the growth in traffic or to maintain legacy systems, Rao noted, but operators also don’t want to have customer experience impacted in ways that would push customers to churn.
Many issues in LTE and VoLTE originate in backhaul networks that are not owned by the mobile operator and carriers need to be able to determine that SLAs are being met, Rao said. Although backhaul issues are commonly associated with insufficient capacity, Rao said that packets can also be changed or malformed at Layer 2 as they pass through backhaul links, causing packet loss that needs to be corrected.
“What we have seen is that VoLTE has proven to be not as easy as it was first thought,” Rao said. One of the major challenges, he added, is vendor interoperability. “This is the first time they’re deploying solutions in a VoLTE environment. There are some test conditions in the real world that they don’t see in their own labs and this has caused some issues in rolling out VoLTE quickly.”
One example Fluke Networks has encountered is that during a test call, one user can be heard, but cannot hear the person on the other end of the line.
“LTE and VoLTE network equipment isn’t yet mature enough still,” said Rao.
Fluke’s primary goal with its Network Time Machine is to get operators and their engineers more network visibility, Rao said. Probes typically don’t exist in all corners of the network, can be fragile and problematic to ship, and can demand significant configuration in order to figure out network problems once they arrive on-site, he pointed out. Fluke’s NTM is designed to be carried on a plane or shipped in a case and with plug-and-play monitoring capabilities.