Berlin's OTIC achieves first O-RAN unit certification

The European Open Testing and Integration Centre (OTIC), located at the Deutsche Telekom innovation campus and facilitated by i14y Lab, has completed its first successful certification of an O-RAN radio unit (O-RU). This test was achieved through the integrated solution for O-RU conformance testing supplied by Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions.

The OTIC in Berlin, provides high-quality testing, validation and integration services for O-RAN-based products and solutions to a supply chain of open radio access network vendors. Its first O-RAN Certification and Badging Program saw the conformance certification of an indoor O-RU of the LPRU-series from VVDN Technologies. This marks the first certification of its kind accomplished by a European test lab.

The Berlin-based OTIC is supported by Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI Solutions, both active in the specifications development in the O-RAN ALLIANCE. They combined their industry-leading capabilities to develop the O-RU testing solution used. This solution consists of VIAVI's TM500 O-RU Tester and O-RU Test Manager, with Rhode & Schwarz's SMBV100A vector signal generator (VSG), FSVA3000 signal and spectrum analyzer, and Vector Signal Explorer (VSE) software.

All approved Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTICs) worldwide work in partnership with the O-RAN ALLIANCE in the O-RAN Certification and Badging Program. This program is designed to instill confidence in O-RAN solutions across the industry. O-RAN is remoulding radio access networks by promoting openness, disaggregation, and flexibility. This initiative is intended to enhance previously closed network architectures to spark innovation, meet individual needs, and improve network efficiency. As a result, O-RAN has seen rapid progression and expansion within the technology ecosystem.

VVDN Technologies' development, the LPRU-series 5G NR Radio Unit (O-RU), is designed to comply fully with O-RAN ALLIANCE standards. The compact, lightweight design ensures ease of installation and optimal coverage for indoor applications. Furthermore, the LPRU-series covers 5G NR TDD bands n77, N78, and n79, and has successfully finished the extensive 3GPP and O-RAN compliance testing.

The O-RU verification followed the O-RAN fronthaul conformance test specification defined by O-RAN WG4. This included the control, user, and synchronization plane (CUS-Plane) and the management-plane (M-Plane). The objective of the WG4 is to ensure interoperability between multiple vendors' distributed units (DUs) and radio units (RUs) by delivering open fronthaul interfaces.

Rohde & Schwarz, a Munich-based technology group and member of the consortium, has had a considerable history in technological advancement, having pushed the technical boundaries in several cutting-edge technologies. VIAVI Solutions is also a global provider of network test, monitoring, and assurance solutions used by various sectors, such as telecommunications and government entities, extending even into aerospace and car industries.