Spotlight on: Sunrise Telecom

As next-generation networks evolve, operators are going to need testing tools to make sure new services and applications run as they are designed, said Bahaa Moukadam, CEO of Sunrise Telecom. The San Jose, Calif.-based company, founded in 1991 to deliver testing solutions to the telecom, cable and wireless industries, recently introduced a new SunLite UDSL service verification solution, a small device that can test multiple DSL standards being deployed for triple-play services.
Carriers are trying to deal with multiple types of technologies so rather than having dedicated technical experts for one technology, technicians can use the SunLite tool, which tests for several technologies, and the complexity of the tool is hidden, Moukadam said. This allows subcontractors in the field to work more efficiently, saving operators time and money. Service providers are using a variety of DSL configurations like ADSLx and VDSLx, and even within those technologies, there are different flavors of the technologies. The SunLite UDSL is designed to test for all of the flavors, thus eliminating the need to carry several test tools. The device has a 3.5-inch touch screen and weighs under 1.5 pounds.
Going forward, Moukadam said, consumers are going to be less forgiving about the quality of the network, especially as people start to use their wireless devices for business use. “Everyone is competing for the same customer.” The end user doesn’t care whether they are using telecom lines or cable lines in their home, but they do care about a good connection. “It’s all about retention,” especially as customers buy bundled offerings, he noted. As such, Moukadam said carriers are going to have to pay more attention to testing solutions, rather than just turning equipment on and hoping it works. Because of that, test equipment is beginning to evolve as the networks evolve. Much of the innovation in the testing marketplace will be to help field personnel, who likely won’t be trained on every technology, diagnose technical problems even if they don’t understand every aspect of increasingly complex networks, he said.