AirHop Communications, Inc., a leading provider of advanced radio access network (RAN) software, announced the availability of vSON^TM, a self-organized network (SON) virtualization software platform that gives operators a key tool for heterogeneous network (HetNet) planning and deployment.

vSON is designed to assist mobile operators in planning their small cell deployments, and specifically, evaluating the impact of SON. In simplest terms, vSON allows operators to virtually overlay SON-enabled small cells on top of an existing mobile network and simulate network operations in order to quantify the SON-generated improvements in network capacity and throughput.

The vSON platform simulates real-network elements, such as base stations (eNodeBs), mobile terminals (UEs) and network management systems. It allows for a large number of elements to be instantiated simultaneously, and models a heterogeneous network (HetNet) comprised of a mix of cells with different transmit powers.

vSON enables seamless co-simulation capabilities, whereby real base stations or other network elements can interact with other simulated elements. The software platform is compatible with AirHop’s eSON software but features a plug-in ready platform architecture with APIs to allow evaluation and comparison of SON implementations and features from different manufacturers.

In addition, distributed or centralized SON architectures can be evaluated using vSON. For example, direct comparisons of each architecture could be carried out to compare processing latencies, MIPS consumption and backhaul throughputs. This allows carriers not only to decide which SON features to deploy, but also the architecture in which to deploy them.

“We received very positive feedback from operators during the early stages of vSON development,” said Yan Hui, co-founder and CEO of AirHop. “The vSON platform is the culmination of AirHop’s years of SON experience and will go a long way in mitigating the costs and operator risks related to small cells.”

AirHop is currently offering vSON consultation to mobile operators, who will be able to replace simulated network elements in their software platform with real network data and see how AirHop’s SON technology can improve the operator’s network performance, as well as optimize operating costs.

About AirHop’s eSON^TM

AirHop’s advanced RAN Intelligence solutions manage interference and optimize system capacity in multi-cell and multiple network configurations. AirHop’s eSON™ software suite provides real-time optimization of available radio resources via multi-cell coordination to effectively provide coverage, capacity and quality of service (QoS) for each cell and individual user. This is especially critical in HetNet deployments where a large number of unplanned small cells can exist within a macro-cell.

About AirHop Communications

Founded in 2007, AirHop provides advanced RAN intelligence critical to the next wave of the mobile Internet. AirHop’s eSON products are the first to completely address the installation, operation and performance challenges of multi-layer, small cell deployments. AirHop is privately held and based in San Diego, CA. More information: www.airhopcomm.com.