Combined engineering and benchmarking measurements add value

Different mobile network measurement tools target different measurement scenarios. One might be the preferred choice for collecting mass data for benchmarking; another might offer extensive possibilities for engineering and troubleshooting. Do we always know how the collected measurement data is being evaluated when we are performing the actual measurement? Most probably not. But wouldn’t it be great if we could…

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Measuring QoE of mobile data apps for network optimization (part 3 of 3)

How can mobile app testing support network optimization? In previous posts, we explained how you could assess the QoE of data applications on smartphones by measuring the success rate and duration of a series of actions. Based on large-scale real field measurement data, we showed how the duration saturates at higher available network speeds and examined the causes of this…

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Measuring QoE of mobile data applications: behind the scenes (part 2 of 3)

In the previous post, we explained how to measure QoE of mobile data applications on smartphones by means of success rate and the duration of a series of actions. Based on large-scale real field data, we showed how the duration saturates at higher available network speeds. But where does saturation come from? And what is going on in the background,…

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Measuring QoE of mobile data applications, e.g. Facebook (part 1 of 3)

Today, there are a huge number of apps available for smartphones covering almost any use case one can think of. Network providers want to ensure that their mobile connection offers everyone a smooth usage experience, especially for the most popular smartphone apps such as Facebook. To do this, they need targeted mobile data application tests. In this blog series, we…

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NB-IoT: how to test quality of service in NB-IoT networks (part 4)

NB-IoT networks are designed for machine-to-machine communication, which generally requires low data rates. When building NB-IoT networks, it is essential to test the performance of new implementations to ensure that the required network quality is available. Tests to measure quality of service (QoS) in NB-IoT networks are typically performed with NB-IoT modules that are controlled by software. Our measurement software…

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HetNets/Small cells: verifying indoor deployments (part 4 of 4)

HetNets and small cell indoor deployments are an effective means to deal with the exponentially increasing data consumption in mobile networks. After the careful planning and actual installation of a new small cell network, it’s time to verify the commissioned indoor deployments and ensure quality of experience (QoE). Both are best achieved with a commercially available smartphone, designed for reliable…

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Interference hunting: the real meaning of automatic direction finding

The need for interference hunting in mobile networks is steadily increasing. And field engineers often ask us which tool we would recommend to be successful in the field. With decades of expertise, what we can say for sure is that it depends: the right tool for successful field service operations depends on the source of interference. Sources are manifold, but…

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Certified Partner Program to address network challenges end-to-end

The testing and benchmarking of mobile networks has reached an unprecedented level of complexity. Considering the rapid technological advancements and continuous introduction of new technologies, such as IoT, 4×4 MIMO and soon 5G, it is very likely that network complexity will continue to increase. To better address current and future network testing challenges, we launched a unique partner program. Hanspeter…

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Measuring quality of experience in public benchmarking campaigns

When studying rankings of mobile operators in specialist publications, you often learn about maximum download and upload speeds, the reliability and availability of offered services, and data transport performance. These technical parameters describing quality of service (QoS) are the bedrock of a reliable mobile service and a well-performing network; they are the basis for subscriber satisfaction. But are they enough…

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