RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ascom Network Testing (www.ascom.com/nt) announced today that it has joined the 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. As a member, Ascom will work with other companies on research of 5G-related topics, and its equipment will be used to help this future technology to evolve.
Ascom joins the 5GIC consortium which already includes Aeroflex, AIRCOM International, BBC, BT, EE, Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe, Huawei, Ofcom, Rohde & Schwarz, Samsung, Telefonica and Vodafone. Together with the University of Surrey, they will conduct research into the development of advanced technologies for a 5G network of the future, to establish a world-leading position in mobile broadband communications and Internet innovations. The project will include the development of a 5G “test bed,” based on the University campus, to test technologies in a real-world environment.
“We are excited to be part of this program,” says Erik Tarnvik, Ascom Network Testing’s CTO. “Ascom has been a member of 3GPP and ITU for many years, and as such we’ve had the opportunity to be part of development efforts as the industry progresses. We are eager to participate and learn first-hand the challenges of this increasingly complex technology through 5GIC, so that we can develop solutions to help the industry to address them.”
Professor Rahim Tafazolli, a leading expert in the field and Head of the University of Surrey’s Centre for Communication Systems Research (CCSR), said, “By bringing together leading academics with heavy-weight industry partners we can develop the technologies that are required to provide much-needed capacity, drive economic growth and actively contribute to and shape the future 5G technology. We are very pleased to have Ascom join our group so that we can use its leading technology as an integrated part of our plans.”
More about Ascom and 5G
Ascom’s leading-edge technology products such as TEMS™ Investigation, TEMS™ Pocket, TEMS™ Discovery and TEMS™ Monitor Master will be available to 5GIC for testing the radio network, services and applications. Using Ascom’s advanced measurement technologies like Blixt™, 5GIC will ensure that the test beds benefit from accurate and less intrusive performance evaluation required by the broadband networks. In addition, Ascom’s on-device testing solutions and QoE metrics for voice, video, audio, and multimedia services will offer the unique customer experience centric view on the impact of the advanced 5G networks’ features. Ascom products today support advanced technologies such as VoLTE and LTE Advanced and will be enhanced with 5G features in the future.
ABOUT ASCOM NETWORK TESTING
Ascom Network Testing offers the TEMS™ Portfolio, the world’s most widely used network testing, monitoring and optimization platform. Ascom Network Testing is a division of Ascom, a global solutions provider with comprehensive technological know-how in mission-critical wireless communication. The company focuses on the Wireless Solutions (an international market leader for high-value, customer-specific on-site communication solutions and workflow optimization) and Network Testing (a global market leader in testing, monitoring, post processing, and performance optimization for mobile networks) divisions. The Ascom Group is headquartered in Switzerland, has subsidiaries in 17 countries, business activities in more than 130 countries, and employs around 1,600 people worldwide. Ascom registered shares (ASCN) are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY
The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading professional, scientific and technological universities with a world class research profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Ground-breaking research at the University is bringing direct benefit to all spheres of life – helping industry to maintain its competitive edge and creating improvements in the areas of health, medicine, space science, the environment, communications, defence and social policy. Programmes in science and technology have gained widespread recognition and it also boasts flourishing programmes in dance and music, social sciences, management and languages and law. In addition to the campus on 150 hectares just outside Guildford, Surrey, the University also owns and runs the Surrey Research Park, which provides facilities for 110 companies employing 2,750 staff.
