UNH-IOL introduces testing to address Broadband Forum’s Wi-Fi metrics

Durham, NH. The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL), an independent provider of broad-based testing and standards conformance services for the networking industry, today announced it is expanding its Wi-Fi testing capabilities in alignment with the Broadband Forum’s WT-398 test plan, a set of performance metrics for Wi-Fi in different scenarios that allows providers to benchmark Wi-Fi Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to ensure it meets user expectations. The Broadband Forum WT-398 test plan represents the first time industry has truly agreed to performance testing for Wi-Fi systems and provides service providers with a tool set to compare and qualify equipment for their networks. The UNH-IOL will be holding an educational webinar on May 31 at 11:00 a.m. EDT highlighting the importance of testing to WT-398 metrics.

“For service providers vested in differentiating their offerings based upon best-in-class performance, having the capability to perform testing plans to  WT-398 is a critical first step in assuring wireless quality of service for customers,” said UNH-IOL senior engineer Lincoln Lavoie. “We have already established how wireless performance is impacted by faster technologies and an ever-increasing number of Wi-Fi-connected devices. Now, for the first time, service providers will be able to request testing for WT-398 and receive detailed reports on where equipment stands in meeting industry-accepted performance metrics.”

The webinar will address key topics covered within the WT-398 test plan; implementation of testing, common mistakes, and how to avoid them; and gaps being covered by other Wi-Fi testing under development by the UNH-IOL.

Wireless performance has become a key factor within the broadband industry. Because many consumers view Wi-Fi connectivity as their Internet connection, Internet service providers (ISPs) are generally blamed for poor performance. The ever-increasing number of Wi-Fi-connected devices, and the advent of new, faster wireless technologies like IEEE 802.11ac, and the push to use the 5-GHz spectrum, has increased the number of factors that can directly impact Wi-Fi performance.

To register for the upcoming UNH-IOL webinar on May 31, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. EDT, and to learn more about WT-398 conformance testing metrics and associated technical issues and solutions, visit the webinar registration page.

For more details about the UNH-IOL WiFi testing and measurement capabilities, visit the UNH-IOL Wi-Fi Testing Services web page.