Testing Next Generation Broadband Networks with Application-Aware Testing and Virtual Subscriber Software

Broadband access networks that deliver current and future services use a wide range of architectures, devices, and technologies, especially over the “last mile” connections that provide the final link to the subscriber premises. These technologies can interact with system configurations, network protocols, and traffic patterns in non-intuitive, complex behaviors that may affect the Quality of Experience (QoE) perceived by customers, in turn affecting subscriber churn and take rates. As a result, service providers pay close attention to testing the systems they deploy, both in the lab and during initial trials.

Pre-trial testing in a lab environment is important for many reasons, including the fact that lab testing allows systems to be stressed in ways that they may not encounter in field trials. In particular, broadband traffic volume—which increases yearly at an exponential rate estimated at 20 to 40 percent or more—is usually pushed in the lab to levels projected several years into the future, while subscribers in field trials use the services at volumes reflective of current usage.