QUEBEC CITY – Network test and monitoring technology maker EXFO announced Monday it has acquired the majority of the assets of Absolute Analysis Inc., including technology, expertise and solutions in the area of radio frequency (RF) testing for fiber-based radio access networks (RANs).
This cash and stock transaction is valued at approximately US$8.25 million, including US$5 million in cash and the remaining amount in EXFO shares. No material impact from the acquisition is expected for EXFO's first quarter of fiscal 2017 ending on November 30, 2016.
EXFO will be combining its cutting-edge optical and Ethernet test technologies with those of Absolute Analysis, a privately held company in Newbury Park, California. “Absolute Analysis' solutions are critical for identifying and analyzing RF interference issues in fiber to the antenna (FTTA), distributed antenna systems (DAS), remote radio heads (RRHs) and baseband units (BBUs) that support 4G/LTE and, soon, 5G wireless mobility and Internet of Things (IoT),” reads the press release. Absolute Analysis' technology delivers highly efficient CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface) protocol analysis and emulation as well as RF over CPRI spectrum analysis.
“This combination of RF analysis over CPRI with EXFO's market-leading fiber and Ethernet test technologies significantly accelerates service delivery and troubleshooting, which reduces operating expenses for MNOs,” says the release.
EXFO has already integrated a portion of Absolute Analysis' technology into the recently launched OpticalRFTM application for its FTB-1 Pro test platform, a compact, lightweight and powerful solution that allows MNOs to quickly and easily locate all RF interference issues in fiber-based mobile networks.
"Mobile network operators are transforming their architectures and deploying fiber deeper into radio access networks to add new services and much-needed capacity, while preparing for 5G mobility and IoT," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's chairman, president and CEO, in the release. "This small, synergistic and strategic acquisition allows EXFO to strengthen its leadership position with a unique, all-in-one optical, Ethernet and RF test solution to help MNOs greatly enhance their productivity and network reliability."
