PerformNetworks: A Testbed for Exhaustive Interoperability and Performance Analysis for Mobile Networks

PerformNetworks (formerly PerformLTE) is a FIRE facility located at University of Malaga devoted to LTE and 5G technologies experimentation. This testbed is one of the first to provide mobile technologies in FIRE, featuring a unique combination of commercial-off-the-shelf technology with conformance and research equipment. This chapter will provide the details about the testbed which provides mobile connectivity through different experimentation scenarios, moving between emulation and real-world environments. The configurations offered cover a broad spectrum of experiments, from applications and services to innovative network solutions. The chapter will also describe the experiences in the context of FIRE including: the federation with Fed4FIRE technologies; the use of experimentation technologies like those in the FLEX project, the support for several experiments (MobileTrain, SAFE and LTEUAV) from SMEs coming from different sectors; the exploitation as the core testbed in two new H2020 FIRE+ Innovation Actions and the evolution of the testbed to overcome future challenges in mobile networks research and innovation.