Testing labs in Farnborough

Absolute Validation is an independent, United Kingdom-based telecoms test house providing technical validation expertise across mobile networks, connected devices, and telecommunications services. The laboratory serves a broad client base of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), mobile network operators (MNOs), and telecoms equipment vendors who require rigorous, third-party testing evidence to support engineering decisions, operator acceptance, and global device certification. With director and management teams carrying decades of R&D project experience across the complete product lifecycle — from early prototype hardware through commercial launch and into market maturity — Absolute Validation brings deep domain knowledge to every engagement. The company's service portfolio spans the full device and network test lifecycle. Core disciplines include GCF Field Trial (FT) certification, operator acceptance testing (OAT), field testing as a service, project validation, regression testing, error verification and defect management, and user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) testing. Complementing these are structured technical reporting and dashboards designed for both engineering review and customer-facing deliverables. Every engagement is oriented around repeatable, evidence-based testing that produces actionable outputs rather than raw data, with a deliberate focus on useful engineering evidence over noise. Absolute Validation has been an active Global Certification Forum (GCF) member since 2012 and holds two distinct GCF designations: Recognised Test Organisation (RTO) and Assessment Capable Entity (ACE). As a GCF RTO, the laboratory is qualified to execute Field Trial testing as part of the formal GCF device certification process. Their accredited GCF scope covers Annex F5.1 (5G Standalone (SA), 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), EUTRAN, UTRAN, GERAN, SMS, SIM, and TS.42), Annex F5.2 (IMS services including Voice over LTE (VoLTE), Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), and Voice over New Radio (VoNR)), and Annex F5.4 (Massive IoT, specifically CAT-M1 and NB-IoT). As a GCF ACE, Absolute Validation assists OEMs and device manufacturers in identifying the exact conformance, field test, and interoperability tests required for GCF certification, then independently reviews completed test results to confirm that each product satisfies all applicable GCF certification criteria. Operator acceptance testing is a major service area, supporting OEMs and MNOs in benchmarking devices against industry standards or competing products ahead of ranging and commercial sale decisions. Testing scenarios cover voice quality and data throughput performance, call stability, and battery life assessments, conducted in both controlled static laboratory environments and live mobile network conditions. Project validation services extend this work into the broader OEM product development lifecycle, managing user-focused trials in business-critical markets and regions globally to surface defects before commercial release. The laboratory also maintains in-house capability for fully automated testing, providing high-throughput capacity that supplements its skilled human test teams. Field testing is delivered through a fully scalable Field Trials Team with permanent local test resources in five major European countries, supplemented by strategic associates in North and South America, China, and India. This distributed geographic footprint enables fast, cost-effective testing deployments with local language support across diverse live network environments. Absolute Validation manages all project planning and logistics — from drive testing, walk testing, and venue-based assessments to large-scale live network trials — covering 5G SA and NSA, Open RAN (ORAN), and IoT deployments including NB-IoT and CAT-M1. Clients benefit from a managed-service model that handles all scheduling and operational complexity, freeing engineering teams to focus on core product development responsibilities. Throughout a device's commercial lifecycle, Absolute Validation provides regression testing to validate software updates, firmware releases, and new feature additions before they reach end users. Engineers are trained to identify and report defects as early as possible within each test cycle, maximising the likelihood that fixes can be verified within the same assignment and reducing overall cycle time. Where immediate retest is not feasible, the laboratory's distributed local team network helps minimise turnaround time and associated cost. Absolute Validation can also manage client error and defect databases directly, ensuring systematic defect verification is embedded into every testing round for maximum programme efficiency. Experienced engineers additionally assess device UX and UI quality — evaluating look, feel, and intuitive usability beyond formal test case scope — because issues in these dimensions directly affect end-user satisfaction. Absolute Validation holds UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, the internationally recognised standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) is the sole national accreditation body appointed by the UK Government to assess organisations providing testing, calibration, inspection, and certification services, and its accreditation signals independently verified competence, impartiality, and integrity to customers and regulators alike. Together, UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, GCF RTO status, and GCF ACE designation form a robust, internationally recognised quality framework that distinguishes Absolute Validation as a rigorously vetted testing partner for mobile device manufacturers and network operators worldwide. Supporting its field and laboratory operations, Absolute Validation operates a secure Knowledge Database portal that provides clients with password-protected access to historical Android application test results, Ookla speed test data imports, location-based filtering tools, and comprehensive technical test evidence archives. The portal is designed for in-depth longitudinal review of validation data, enabling trend analysis and supporting the management of ongoing testing programmes. Reporting across all services is structured to serve dual audiences — engineering-grade evidence capture with detailed dashboards for technical teams, and polished customer-facing summaries for commercial stakeholders — reflecting the laboratory's core commitment to delivering results that can be acted on immediately rather than raw data requiring further interpretation.

CEM International is a United Kingdom-based conformity assessment organisation holding UKCA Approved Body designation number 1942, accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and approved by the relevant UK government departments. Headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, the company provides professional certification, inspection, and conformity assessment services to manufacturers, importers, product designers, and UK product representatives seeking market access in Great Britain. Its mandate covers a broad range of product categories and the organisation operates as a coordinated one-stop resource for regulatory compliance across multiple UK product safety legislative frameworks. CEM International holds Approved Body status under the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, the UK instrument governing the placing on the market and putting into service of powered equipment with moving parts, whether driven electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically, or by other means. For products listed in Annex IV of those Regulations that are not manufactured in full accordance with designated harmonised standards, CEM carries out complete Type Examination and issues conformity certificates. Where designated standards are applied in full, CEM provides Technical File Lodging, offering 15 years of secure, acknowledged document storage from the date of last manufacture and keeping clients informed of revisions to referenced standards throughout the certification lifecycle. As an Approved Body under the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 2016—the UK successor to EU Directive 2014/30/EU—CEM International evaluates any apparatus whose electromagnetic performance is measurable, confirming that products neither generate unacceptable electromagnetic disturbance nor are susceptible to interference levels that would impair intended function. CEM also acts as an Approved Body under the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017, providing conformity assessment for wireless devices and radio equipment against essential requirements relating to efficient use of the radio spectrum, electromagnetic compatibility, and electrical safety for the full scope of products placed on the UK market following the post-Brexit regulatory transition. Under the Construction Products Regulations 2011, CEM International is recognised as an Approved Body for construction materials and building-related goods, including household appliances, destined for the UK market. Across all regulatory frameworks it covers, CEM can engage clients at any stage of the product lifecycle: from early design review involving inputs, outputs, verification, and validation; through manufacturing process and factory production control audits; to installation, commissioning checks, and end-of-service assessments. Gap analysis between existing documentation and applicable regulations, on-site prototype inspections, and document review are among the specific activities offered as part of each conformity assessment engagement. Although CEM International is primarily a certification and inspection body rather than a physical test house, it maintains relationships with affiliated testing laboratories and facilities in the UK, EU, and Far East capable of generating the empirical test evidence required to underpin compliance with applicable UK and EU product standards. This integrated network allows clients to obtain both test data and the conformity assessment certificate through a single coordinated engagement, reducing administrative and logistical burden. The result is a streamlined path from prototype evaluation to certified product, with testing and assessment resources matched to each client's specific regulatory and commercial requirements. A key differentiator for CEM International is its subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland, which holds Notified Body status (Notified Body No. 2845) for CE marking under European Single Market rules. Manufacturers requiring both UKCA marking for the UK market and CE marking for EU member states can access combined certification services through the CEM group, avoiding the cost and complexity of engaging two separate approved or notified bodies. Allied conformity assessment organisations across multiple jurisdictions are integrated into the CEM service network, further broadening the scope of testing, inspection, and certification that can be coordinated on behalf of a client. CEM International also extends its regulatory expertise to government market surveillance bodies, supporting domestic and overseas public institutions in interpreting legislative and standard requirements and organising necessary testing or inspection activities for market oversight purposes. Partner third-party conformity assessment organisations can collaborate with CEM to extend their own service scope to include UKCA marking, with CEM providing ongoing legislative and standards intelligence, shared assessor competency frameworks, and formal training. Training courses and regulatory seminars tailored to specific client sectors and product types are available to manufacturers, importers, consultancy organisations, and the public. With UKAS-accredited Approved Body authority spanning machinery safety, electromagnetic compatibility, radio equipment, and construction products—combined with CE Notified Body capability in Ireland and affiliated testing resources across three regions—CEM International is a credible, multi-jurisdictional compliance partner for manufacturers navigating the divergent post-Brexit requirements of the UK and European markets. Its multilingual service delivery in English and Mandarin Chinese, and its structured engagement model covering every phase from product design to end-of-life, make it particularly well-suited to Far East manufacturers, UK importers, and product designers bringing goods to the British market for the first time.