Ixia to Demonstrate First Ever Mobile Network Testing With Real-world Triple-play Traffic

Ixia’s IxLoad 4.10 to Test GGSN Devices at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona

CALABASAS, Calif. - Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA), a leading global provider of IP performance test systems, announced that it will demonstrate the first ever real-world, triple-play testing for Gateway GPRS Support Nodes (GGSNs) at the Mobile World Congress, February 11-14 in Barcelona. Ixia’s IxLoad 4.10 application has been enhanced to test GGSNs, which are part of the packet-switched core network in both 2.5G and 3G mobile systems.

With increasing demand for broadband mobile data services, operators require the ability to perform traffic engineering and other functions based on the type of traffic traversing the network. GGSNs now accomplish these functions using a process known as deep packet inspection, or DPI, but testing them has become increasingly challenging.

“Realistic triple-play traffic is necessary to be able to accurately test the capability of the GGSN to inspect traffic and differentiate between the different traffic types, in addition to testing various other functions,” said Stephane Teral, principal analyst with Infonetics.

Infonetics reports that in 2005, 91.7 million mobile subscribers were served over 3G W-CDMA networks. The company predicts that, by 2010, the number will grow to 522.1 million for a compound annual growth rate of 41 percent.

“Up until now, manufacturers and mobile operators have had limited ability to test GGSNs with stateful, that is realistic, triple-play traffic, relying instead on less sophisticated traffic generation such as bit-blasting,” said Victor Alston, Ixia senior vice president of Product Development. “With IxLoad, the mobile industry will be able to emulate real-world traffic that provides the rigorous testing required.”

IxLoad can emulate thousands of triple-play (voice, video and data) subscribers along with associated protocols. Manufacturers and mobile operators use this capability to stress devices and networks in order to accurately assess their performance.