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Together with the Japanese telecommunications giant NTT DoCoMo, Rohde and Schwarz has developed the first package of test scenarios to test interoperability between the NTT DoCoMo network and third-generation mobile radio phones.
The goal is to achieve interference-free operation of the various mobile radio phones under real network operating conditions.
Plans have been made to develop further test cases by autumn 2005.
At the end of January 2004, Rohde and Schwarz and NTT DoCoMo signed a contract to develop test cases for third-generation mobile radio.
As contractually agreed, the test specifications, developed by NTT DoCoMo, have now been implemented in the first 80 test cases by Rohde and Schwarz.
During the implementation of these test cases, Rohde and Schwarz worked with its subsidiary Rohde and Schwarz Systems and Communications Asia, in Singapore.
These test cases ensure that different mobile radio phones will interoperate smoothly with 3G telecommunication networks.
The test scenarios comply with the protocol standard of the official 3GPP test specification.
NTT DoCoMo believes that these test scenarios will prove to be an invaluable pre-IOT tool for user equipment vendors.
The implemented tests are based on network settings in practice.
Therefore, for typical application cases, they test the various protocol layers simultaneously.
Interoperability between a mobile radio network and user equipment is ensured only when a parameter set is tested while all protocol layers are interacting.
Rohde and Schwarz also supports test cases that comply with the 3GPP test specification.
These test cases test every single protocol layer of a mobile radio phone to check for compliance with the standard.
The test cases largely reflect the real conditions of a telecommunications network that is ready for operation.
With these test cases, users can worldwide implement interoperability tests for the mobile radio network.
Consequently, it is no longer necessary for user equipment to be tested strictly on-site at the network operator.
This reduces test time and costs.
The test scenarios contain all expertise that NTT DoCoMo has acquired while putting its 3G mobile radio network into operation.
Rohde and Schwarz is the ideal partner for development since it plays a leading role in the development of the official 3GPP test specification.
By autumn 2005, Rohde and Schwarz plans to develop approximately 185 further test cases together with NTT DoCoMo.
 

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