The UNH InterOperability Lab Expanding ‘Wi-Fi’ Performance Testing to Include New Broadband Forum TR-398 Issue 2 Test Plan and Wi-Fi 6 Requirements

March 31 webinar for broadband gateway vendors and service providers globally will detail how expanded testing services contribute to lowering costs and improving customer satisfaction

DURHAM, N.H.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#broadband–The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), an independent provider of broad-based testing and standards conformance solutions for the networking industry, today announced an expansion of its “Wi-Fi^®” performance testing services to now include the new Broadband Forum TR-398 Issue 2 test plan and Wi-Fi 6 requirements defined in the IEEE 802.11ax™ standard¹. The testing is crucial for validating the consumer- and enterprise-grade IEEE 802.11 stations and access points used in broadband deployments. Verifying performance can help reduce support expenditures and customer complaints due to poor Wi-Fi caused by badly performing devices.

The UNH-IOL will detail the updated testing offering in a webinar at 10 a.m. ET on March 31. Broadband gateway vendors and service providers in Europe (particularly in Belgium, France, Germany and the UK), North America and the Asia-Pacific region (including Australia) are especially encouraged to attend. To register for the upcoming UNH-IOL webinar, please visit the webinar registration page.

“Service providers will be looking to our device suppliers for TR-398 results and reports. These reports will allow service providers to better understand the performance of the developed product prior to release, which will be crucial to ensure customer experience. Service calls associated with Wi-Fi performance issues have emerged as one of our industry’s biggest pain points,” said Mike Talbert, Associate Fellow, Verizon. “It’s not only that there’s a terrific cost savings to be realized if those issues can be caught before devices go into the field; there also is the opportunity to enhance customer satisfaction and reduce churn.”

The Broadband Forum’s TR-398 test plans, both Issue 1 and the new Issue 2, represent a first in the industry to define absolute requirements on device and Wi-Fi performance in a way that is repeatable and allows direct comparisons between devices and testing results. TR-398 testing encompasses a set of performance metrics in different scenarios and focuses on Wi-Fi router performance. The performance test plan measures an access point’s performance against expectations of broadband service providers. Issue 2 increases the testing coverage, specifically adding testing for new IEEE 802.11ax technologies in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. In other test cases, the Broadband Forum has also increased the required performance for access points to successfully pass the test plan.

“Our updated Wi-Fi performance testing services enable service providers and device manufacturers to validate the devices used in their broadband deployments before those devices ever reach field deployment. Testing also can apply to new software versions for existing devices,” said Lincoln Lavoie, senior engineer, broadband technologies, the UNH-IOL. “These are valuable benefits for the industry in terms of reducing customer support costs and enhancing satisfaction.”

To learn more about the UNH-IOL and their testing services, visit their website.

About the UNH-IOL

The UNH-IOL is dedicated to being the world’s premier data networking resource. Beginning in 1988, the UNH-IOL has built a multimillion dollar testbed and developed testing solutions to help companies efficiently and cost effectively deliver products to market. UNH-IOL’s services fit the needs of the market, while maintaining broad, comprehensive interoperability and conformance testing of networking, data, telecommunications, and storage products. The industry relies on UNH-IOL’s extensive staff experience, standards-bodies participation, 28,000+ square foot facility, and 100+ students who represent the future of interoperability testing and verification.

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¹EE 802.11ax, IEEE Approved Draft Standard for Information technology– Telecommunications and information exchange between systems Local and metropolitan area networks–Specific requirements Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications Amendment 1: Enhancements for High Efficiency WLAN

Contacts

Organization Contact:
UNH-IOL

Mara Johnson, +1-603-862-0901

Communications Coordinator

mara.johnson@iol.unh.edu
www.iol.unh.edu
or

Media Contact:
Interprose for UNH-IOL

Melissa Power, +1-401-454-1314

Melissa.power@interprosepr.com
www.interprosepr.com