Virtualized environment for communication system development and optimization

With the VIRTUOSO platform project, the aim of the partners is to become global leaders in
wireless systems virtualization. That is, in moving the complexity associated with designing
and validating such systems from hardware and reality to software and realistic models. By
doing so, they will improve the current development process and achieve dramatic reductions
in the time expenditure associated with modem design, integration, verification and network
features rollout. Since the introduction of UMTS, which “kicked off” the mobile Internet, the demand for ubiquitous, reliable and high-speed connectivity has been steadily growing. Unfortunately, however, the offer did not always meet such a demand. The parties of the consortium believe
that this is mostly due to the fact that terminals and networks have been designed and
validated separately so far, with all sorts of consequences: slow rollout of network features,
sub-optimal network configuration, flawed handset designs, etc. So, they believe that in order
to meet the expectations of the market, what is truly needed is a tight cooperation between
handset manufacturers and the network operators, with the aim of going beyond traditional
and “isolated” design and validation methods.

The VIRTUOSO platform builds on these considerations and aims at realizing this paradigm
shift. First by bringing the partners together and concentrating in one location the necessary
resources and expertise to identify and solve the underlying problems. Then by redefining
design, integration and verification/deployment processes in light of novel methods based on
virtualization.

Currently, the learning loop from final-stage field testing to early-stage modem design, or
network configuration, is slow and ineffective, mainly due to the lack of repeatability in the
results. Indeed, the derivation of stable indications is often so complex and time-consuming
that it must be measured in tens or even hundreds of man-years.

The platform project will introduce a shift from methods based on field experiments to virtual
experiments. In these, the elements of a network that are normally deployed in field (e.g.
base stations and terminals) are installed in a lab and the radio environment is replicated by
means of electro-magnetic propagation models. With the help of the techniques that will be
developed within the scope of the platform, such an environment is then used to stimulate the
network.

External partners: Intel Mobile Communications Denmark ApS, Anite Telecoms Limited, Telenor A/S