4G deployment accelerated: EXFO test solutions enable “Broadband China” strategy
PT/EXPO COMM CHINA 2014 was held in Beijing from October 23 to 27. Asia’s largest ICT event attracted nearly 500 Carriers, equipment manufacturers, Internet companies and virtual network operators from more than 10 countries and regions.
EXFO in its capacity as the world-leading optical testing, measurement and automation solution provider was present to showcase its latest technological innovations. OFweek interviewed Cao Zheng, Sales Director for Greater China Region; Sun Xuerui, Application Director for Greater China Region; and Zhao Yongliang, Director of Service Assurance and Solutions, for an in-depth discussion on opportunities brought about by the deployment of LTE and high-speed 100G networks carried out by China’s 3 major operators.
When asked what innovative technologies and products EXFO would launch this year, Mr. Cao stated that the company first started as a test instrument provider and that since then, it has developed a wide range of unique products, systems and applications to address varying customer demands. EXFO will continue to develop testing technologies and products, maintain its leadership in optical testing solutions while providing more and more comprehensive end-to-end network testing and monitoring solutions for Carriers.
Mr. Sun said that China is vigorously implementing the "Broadband China" strategy and that FTTH has boomed in the recent years. To respond to this rapid network expansion, EXFO will continue to invest heavily in R&D by dedicating more than 20% of its revenues to R&D and launching more than new 30 new products each year. More than 25% of revenues are generated from recent products launched within the last 3 years. EXFO has set up R&D teams in Canada, the US, Europe and India.
LTE is definitely the major investment focus for Carriers, noted Mr. Zhao. Competition is focused on service quality and user experience. For network operators, rapid delivery of assurance service, reliable operation and high-quality user experience will be critical. EXFO is meticulously building integrated solutions that effectively address these issues and fully support network operators.
As mentioned in the article, EXFO currently offers a variety of products and solutions to facilitate LTE deployment in China, including the PowerHawk Pro system and QA series. The company is one of the major contributors to ITU-T Y.1564 and RFC5357 TWAMP standards. EXFO is also developing solutions to tackle the challenges brought about by 100G/400G deployment, including 100G/400G signal quality assessment and online OSNR monitoring.
