Rohde & Schwarz Interactivity Test solution enables new ITU network performance evaluation recommendation

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recently approved the Rohde & Schwarz Interactivity Test as a standardized test procedure, defined in Recommendation ITU-T G.1051. Mobile network operators who integrate the Interactivity Test into their testing ecosystem can rely on Rohde & Schwarz to provide complete solutions for every aspect of the test.

In 2019, Rohde & Schwarz introduced its innovative Interactivity Test to help mobile network operators meet the needs of real-time and interactive applications, which were becoming increasingly relevant. 5G enables a new set of services, for both individual users and industrial and automotive applications. Ultra-high reliability and real-time interaction are key factors for these services. By measuring round-trip data latency, packet delay variations, packet error rates and proofing bit rates, the Interactivity Test can identify specific network issues that affect the quality and reliability of real-time and interactive services. The approach is both more integrative and scalable relative to legacy network performance tests that typically focus on data transfer speeds or network throughput.

The Interactivity Test measures latency under real network load conditions. The load patterns can be adjusted to specific use cases. All low layer information on the packet service level is available and an over-the-top assessment generates a network interactivity score for a specific use case. Information from the test can help identify data transmission bottlenecks. The Interactivity Test is more granular than legacy data tests and helps optimize network infrastructure for real-time and interactive use cases, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations and improving quality of experience (QoE) and quality of service (QoS).

Rohde & Schwarz Interactivity Test solutions

The Interactivity Test can be used with any Rohde & Schwarz active mobile network testing solution. QualiPoc Android is a complete handheld test solution to evaluate and troubleshoot voice, video and data service quality using data collected from the L1 radio to the application layer. QualiPoc can run on the latest Android smartphones and tablets and features an intuitive, customizable user interface. The dedicated QualiPoc Interactivity Test enhances the powerful data transmission performance test suite by measuring and assessing network interactivity, efficiently identifying transmission bottlenecks and providing information from the radio and IP traces. QualiPoc also covers other ITU service testing standards, such as POLQA ITU-T P.863, which was co-invented by Rohde & Schwarz. QualiPoc measures telephone speech quality and includes detailed insights that exceed standard solutions. Users can also use QualiPoc to test mobile video quality by analyzing each individual frame in real time with ITU-T J.343.1.

Interactivity is also relevant for benchmarking. SmartBenchmarker is the ideal software platform for configuring, executing and monitoring test campaigns with multiple channels that simultaneously use QualiPoc and RF scanners, such as the R&S TSME6. The measurement equipment can also be remotely operated with SmartMonitor.

Dr. Jens Berger, Senior Director Applied Research at Rohde & Schwarz Mobile Network Testing, comments: “Rohde & Schwarz was the first to implement and deploy this new measurement approach in 2019. The value of this method has been recognized by ETSI and the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector ITU-T and defined as its own Recommendation ITU-T G.1051, which fills us with pride. Rohde & Schwarz is again spearheading the most advanced test and measurement approaches for mobile network testing and setting international standards.”