Consistent and Repeatable Testing of mMIMO O-RU across labs: A Japan-Singapore Experience

TL;DR

This paper reports on an international collaborative effort to develop and demonstrate consistent, repeatable testing procedures for O-RAN Radio Units across labs in Japan and Singapore, supporting global interoperability standards.

Contribution

It presents the first successful implementation of standardized O-RU conformance testing across multiple international labs, validating the vendor-neutral testing approach.

Findings

All test cases defined by O-RAN were successfully completed.

Overcoming cross-lab testing challenges was achieved through collaborative efforts.

Lessons learned improve future global testing and certification processes.

Abstract

Open Radio Access Networks (RAN) aim to bring a paradigm shift to telecommunications industry, by enabling an open, intelligent, virtualized, and multi-vendor interoperable RAN ecosystem. At the center of this movement, O-RAN ALLIANCE defines the O-RAN architecture and standards, so that companies around the globe can use these specifications to create innovative and interoperable solutions. To accelerate the adoption of O-RAN products, rigorous testing of O-RAN Radio Unit (O-RU) and other O-RAN products plays a key role. O-RAN ALLIANCE has approved around 20 Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTICs) globally. OTICs serve as vendor-neutral platforms for providing the testing and integration services, with the vision that an O-RAN product certified in any OTIC is accepted in other parts of the world. To demonstrate the viability of such a certified-once-and-use-everywhere approach, one theme in the O-RAN Global PlugFest Spring 2024 is to demonstrate consistent and repeatable testing for the open fronthaul interface across multiple labs. Towards this, Japan OTIC and Asia Pacific OTIC in Singapore have teamed up together with an O-RU vendor and Keysight Technology. Our international team successfully completed all test cases defined by O-RAN ALLIANCE for O-RU conformance testing. In this paper, we share our journey in achieving this outcome, focusing on the challenges we have overcome and the lessons we have learned through this process.