Rakuten Selects VIAVI To Validate World's First End-to-End Cloud-Native Mobile Network

TM500 is the de facto standard for lab validation of mobile network performance as experienced by end users

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Jan 23, 2019, 06:30 ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Viavi Solutions Inc. (VIAVI) (NASDAQ: VIAV) today announced that Rakuten, Inc., one of the world's leading internet services companies and soon to be the newest mobile network operator in Japan, has selected the VIAVI TM500 system to support the rapid deployment of a nationwide, end-to-end cloud-native mobile network.

Rakuten offers e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications services to over one billion members worldwide. The company received approval for its 4th generation mobile communications system (4G) special base station deployment plan, and is targeting October 2019 to launch the new service. The network deployment plan is driven by a cloud-based architecture, from the RAN to the core, an industry-leading level of automation, and collaboration with the top vendors in the mobile ecosystem.

Rakuten will use the TM500 for user equipment (UE) simulation as part of a state-of-the-art operator lab, designed to simulate and stress the network from end to end. As consumers and regulators increasingly demand highly resilient and high-quality network performance, the lab's mission is to provide all stakeholders with a high degree of confidence in the quality of service and reliability of the live network for both existing and future services.

The TM500 is a scalable test system for validating network performance as experienced by end users, across multiple cells and different radio access technologies. It is the de facto standard in its class, and is in use with almost every base station manufacturer across the world. Recently released industry-first features include: uplink MIMO on two layers; downlink 8x8 MIMO; 4x4 MIMO support; two downlink carrier aggregation at 120 kHz and 240 kHz; millimeter wave support; and support for multiple UEs on 5G.

"Consumers across Japan trust Rakuten for services throughout their daily lives, from e-commerce to fintech to digital content, and we are immensely excited to prepare to deliver a new mobile network service to them this year, with the support of world-class technology partners such as VIAVI," said Tareq Amin, Chief Technology Officer, Rakuten Mobile Network. "As we aim to realize our vision for the world's first end-to-end cloud-native, nationwide mobile network, VIAVI's knowhow and expertise in network testing will be key to building a high-quality, highly resilient network for our customers."

"VIAVI is honored to be selected by Rakuten, a global innovator in internet services," said Rajesh Rao, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, VIAVI. "In order to meet the timeline of service being commercially available in 2019, extensive testing of base station software releases and load testing with user profiles, including application traffic, is essential to enable faster time to market and time to quality. Our solutions enable wraparound testing to create test scenarios emulating many thousands of UEs that accurately emulate field conditions to stress test in the lab with an end-to-end approach. We are ready to support the Rakuten ecosystem of partners to deliver interoperable network infrastructure."

About VIAVI Lab To Field™
VIAVI offers a range of 4G and 5G validation, deployment and assurance solutions that accelerate testing, facilitate network evolution and speed time to market. The 3GPP-compliant TM500 Network Tester, largely regarded as the de facto standard for wireless network testing, has seen significant market adoption for testing throughout the R&D lifecycle and also is used to stress-test network performance prior to launch of new services. Together with the 5G Core Emulator, CellAdvisor 5G and NITRO Mobile solutions, VIAVI offers a powerful combination of end-to-end testing, validation and assurance solutions that support the complete network lifecycle from the lab to the field. VIAVI will be exhibiting Lab To Field at Mobile World Congress, Hall 6, Stand 6G40, Barcelona, February 25-28, 2019.

About VIAVI
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions to communications service providers, enterprises, network equipment manufacturers, civil, government, military and avionics customers, supported by a worldwide channel community including VIAVI Velocity Partners. We deliver end-to-end visibility across physical, virtual and hybrid networks, enabling customers to optimize connectivity, quality of experience and profitability. VIAVI is also a leader in high performance thin film optical coatings, providing light management solutions to anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, automotive, defense and instrumentation markets. Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

About Rakuten
Rakuten, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to more than 1.2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 17,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.

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SOURCE VIAVI Solutions