PerformLTE: A Testbed for LTE Testing in the Future Internet

Overview & Synopsis

The flat architecture adopted in LTE increases the scalability of the network in order to accommodate large volumes of user traffic, reduces packet latency and the cost per byte. At the same time the enhanced Node B (eNB) has increased its complexity which have implied the appearance of new challenges in the field of experimental performance tests [1]. To cope with these challenges, access to a real and controlled experimentation environment is needed. Nevertheless, the high cost of laboratory equipment makes it difficult to carry out realistic experiments for most research teams, whose work usually rely on simulations. A combination of highly configurable equipment and software tools accessed remotely seems to be the best solution to improve research activities around LTE technologies and beyond. PerformLTE testbed provides a controlled environment where LTE end-to-end IP communication, including radio impairments and network perturbations, and complex network setups can be reproduced.