Spirent acquires octoScope, gets into Wi-Fi and 5G

Spirent adds test chambers and peripherals to its product line.

Spirent Communications has acquired octoScope, a maker of wireless test chambers and peripheral equipment. The acquisition gets Spirent into the wireless test market covering Wi-Fi and 5G. With the acquisition, Spirent now with Keysight and Rohde & Schwarz on the wireless side. The company has long been in the wireline network test market.

Based in Littleton, Mass., octoScope‘s flagship product is the octoBox, a series of stackable test chambers with antennas inside. External peripherals include RF attenuators, interference generators, splitters, and software. The octoBox lets engineers test phones, routers, and other wireless equipment. Recently, octoScope has been marketing its products to companies developing 5G products.

Founded in 2006 by RF engineer Fanny Mlinarsky, octoScope began making the octoBox in 2013. Since then, the company has served customers that include network operators, chipset manufacturers, and equipment manufacturers. I’ve personally visited octoScope on several occasions, taking this photo of a router under test.