How Software Testing for 5G networks is challenging and beneficial

5G is expected to transform the way we live and operate by integrating every device, machine, car, robot, or medical appliance into the network. It is an evolution in the LTE technology by incorporating new technologies for high-frequency radio access. 5G services appear to influence the entire technology ecosystem comprising digital devices, cloud services, IP core, and IoT-based sensors. The applications supporting 5G can have a wide sweep connecting both consumers and businesses with use cases in the form of connected cars, drones, and remotely operated robots, among others.

According to Qualcomm, the wireless telecommunications company, 5G technologies are going to impact mankind in the same way as some of the other inventions – electricity, the steam engine, and the internet. The mobile speed we witness today are going to be child’s play with the advent of 5G. As businesses are expected to funnel around $200 billion annually in 5G research and the associated value chain, it is expected to generate a global output of around $ 12.3 trillion by 2035.

Why software testing for 5G?

The complexity of 5G will increase manifold with new use cases, demand for high throughput and ultra-low latency, and support for mm wavelength. In other words, software testing for 5G is going to be equally complex as its design. At the same time, the challenges in testing can give rise to opportunities as well for enterprises to transform their testing techniques. Validating a good user experience through 5G is going to be extremely difficult given the multiplicity of challenges.

However, the strategy for software testing for telecom needs to be completely overhauled to deliver high-quality products in a quick time. With 3G and 4G, the thrust was to validate new features, radio conditions, throughput requirements, and handovers, among others. The real challenges in telecom network testing for 5G would include verifying the design of systems developed for next-gen wireless networks, adoption of millimeter-wave (mmWave), and keeping the cost of telecommunication software testing under control.

Further, with semiconductor companies building transceivers with phased array antennas, cable access that is common to today’s wireless devices will be done away with. This means such devices need to be tested over the air, thereby creating challenges for configuration, repeatability, and coverage. The bottom line is that 5G-based devices and components ought to be tested differently from their 4G predecessors.

What are the challenges involved in 5G software testing for telecom?

The mindboggling array of use cases for 5G and the demands on technology are going to show a host of testing challenges:

• Standalone testing of a diverse set of 5G data-centric devices and applications will take a lot of effort
• Analyzing the performance of a 5G network will be underpinned on test automation and monitoring the test solution
• With new challenges and test requirements by the use of cloud services and SDN/NFV, there would be a need to create new test solutions

Addressing the challenges of 5G telecom application testing services

To enable faster delivery of 5G driven software or devices, telecom companies should follow the below-mentioned strategy:

Based on use cases: 5G technology envelops hundreds of use cases spread across industry verticals, which are in a dire need of validation. However, testers should be able to focus on top use cases with different test requirements for individual industries. The top use cases are likely to have massive IoT integrations, high throughput, enhanced video services, remote surgery, and sub-millisecond latency, among others. By clustering a number of use cases, testers can address a majority of 5G-related test challenges. To cite an example, an Ericsson study has found that by conducting a clustering analysis of 9 use cases, around 90 percent of potential opportunities have been covered.

Automation: With network slices being dynamically created, utilized, and deleted in a few seconds or hours, automation can help in managing such dynamic behavior. Also, given the changes to take place quicker than humans can comprehend, analytics-based automation shall hold the key to testing and deployment of 5G-based applications. Automation should be able to alert stakeholders and suggest correctives when any device, application, or system under test undergoes any degradation in service.

Everything continuous: The dynamically changing environment and unprecedented complexity of 5G require a DevOps-based telecom domain testing strategy involving continuous integration, testing, and deployment. Since continuous integration will remain dynamic, the test suites need to be updated as and when needed.

Conclusion

5G is going to swamp all telecom networks in the near future and provide plenty of opportunities for businesses, applications, and devices with new use cases. However, software testing for 5G networks is going to make a paradigm shift with the evolution of new testing architectures, methodologies, and techniques. Test solutions would be built on highly scalable and flexible platforms integrating expanded capabilities.

James Daniel is a software Tech enthusiastic & works at Cigniti Technologies I'm having a great understanding of today's software testing quality