(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/RichVintage)
Verkotan, a specialist in wireless performance testing, has acquired mobile equipment testing laboratories from Microsoft to strengthen its capability to reproduce the challenging real-world environments experienced by everyday users.
Founded in November by a team of six engineers with backgrounds at Nokia and Microsoft, Verkotan is led by co‑founder Miia Nurkkala, among others who previously worked for those companies. When Microsoft closed Nokia’s Oulu facilities, Verkotan seized the opportunity to meet growing demand for over‑the‑air (OTA) testing services.
Realistic testing in anechoic chambers
Mobile device testing is usually done inside controlled radiated environments called anechoic chambers. Despite being based in Finland, Verkotan’s chambers can recreate complex environments from around the world. By using direction-finding scanners to measure arrival angles and signal strength, the team can simulate a specific street or city scenario inside their testing space.
Verkotan operates four anechoic chambers that together provide approximately 1,100 cubic meters of testing volume. Within these chambers, engineers examine a wide range of variables to model realistic usage: device placement (for example, on a table or held to the ear), multiple frequency bands, and varying signal conditions. These controlled tests verify that device antennas and radios perform reliably no matter how the product is used.
Accreditation and certification services
With its equipment and experience, Verkotan has become the only accredited OTA testing service provider in Northern Europe. This position enables the company to assess devices for wireless certification frameworks such as the Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PTCRB, which ensure global interoperability for cellular systems, Wi‑Fi and A‑GPS.
Thorough OTA testing helps identify and mitigate common issues like call drops and degraded call quality before products reach consumers. As the industry expands to support the Internet of Things (IoT) and next‑generation networks such as 5G, comprehensive wireless testing will be essential to deliver stable, high‑quality services.
Growing need for wireless testing
“The increasing complexity of wireless devices and the Internet of Things boosts the demand for testing of wireless capabilities. Our primary offering consists of OTA certification testing, operator OTA approval testing, and tailored wireless performance testing,” says Verkotan Oy CEO Kari Komonen.
As manufacturers and operators prepare for broader IoT adoption and the rollout of 5G technologies, independent labs like Verkotan provide critical validation that devices will behave as expected in varied and demanding radio environments.
Do you think 5G will increase the need for test chambers? Let us know in the comments.
For more on the Internet of Things, consider attending industry events and exhibitions focused on IoT and wireless technologies to learn about testing practices and interoperability challenges firsthand.