The wireless market in India stands on the brink of dramatic change. The nature of mobile traffic is mutating, with voice traffic growth slowing down and growth in the use of data and value-added services speeding up, especially video.

The Mobile Economy India 2013 Report by the GSMA predicts mobile broadband services will continue to grow in India with 3G and 4G adoption increasing by 31 per cent per year – from 107 million connections in 2013 to 409 million in 2017.

A ‘perfect storm’ situation is brewing. Numbers of devices and subscribers increase daily, connected behaviours are changing and the LTE revolution approaches rapidly; indeed, it’s already underway – Bharti Airtel has introduced LTE services, Aircel is conducting 4G trials, and Reliance is expected to launch LTE services in early 2014.

The need for lab-based performance testing

One of the most important challenges facing the wireless development industry in India is addressing the many complexities introduced by LTE technology. This increases the need to conduct performance testing in order to ensure end-users’ expectations on the quality of experience are met. The quality of the customer LTE experience will be a key differentiator for operators to successfully drive subscriber loyalty in a dynamic market.

LTE presents a complex new environment which requires a highly capable testing solution that can address a broad range of factors including complex antenna configurations, MIMO and higher spectrum efficiency. The need to conduct testing for complex scenarios not yet implemented in the field makes lab-based testing a preferable option.

Indian mobile operators and wireless equipment manufacturers are able to make use of time- and cost-efficient lab-based performance testing solutions of devices and network equipment prior to market deployment. Lab-based testing is conducted in a realistic, repeatable and controllable environment. Such an approach enables rapid verification of next generation technology functionality and features in a flexible and automated fashion. Anite’s lab-based performance testing solutions are easy-to-use with intuitive graphical user interfaces.

Working together to enhance the consumer’s quality of experience

Recently, the Anite team was privileged to host key influencers within the Indian wireless industry at a Test and Measurement Seminar in Bangalore. The agenda focused on enhancing the quality of experience for consumers through a variety of lab-based performance testing solutions such as MIMO OTA and Virtual Drive Testing. The day also included a discussion of future perspectives to identify priorities and major challenges for the industry. Design engineers and test specialists were among those who came together to discuss the technologies required to support burgeoning data use and increasing smartphone adoption.

With over 20 years’ experience working with leading chipset and handset customers as well as Tier 1 operators across the globe, from the 2G days to the recent deployment of LTE, Anite is looking forward to continue to contribute to India's mobile industry with advanced testing solutions.