Vodafone, Nokia, Cisco, Benu Networks, and Casa Systems have successfully conducted the first multi-vendor test of a new broadband standard.
The vendors tested a new open architecture for the Broadband Network Gateway (BNG). BNGs are critical for connecting multiple users to the internet but have historically been locked to a single supplier.
Disaggregated BNGs based on the global TR-459 standard from the Broadband Forum will enable the component to work using separate software and hardware from multiple vendors.
“Cisco is committed to driving solutions to expand broadband penetration worldwide,” said Andy Schutz, Product Management Senior Director for Cisco.
“We believe the work being done in the Broadband Forum is fundamental to these efforts, especially in the area of creating greater flexibility and choice of control and user planes from different vendors leveraging the TR-459 standard.”
Just as Open RAN is helping the mobile ecosystem to avoid vendor lock-in, disaggregated BNGs will help to do the same for fixed broadband.
“We are already driving a more diverse and open mobile ecosystem with Open RAN, and now we are targeting fixed broadband,” explained Johan Wibergh, Chief Technology Officer for Vodafone.
“As an industry, and with government support, we owe it to people with no or slow internet access to quicken the rollout of new capabilities on fast, fixed broadband.”
The multi-vendor test successfully separated core gateway control functions – including authenticating a user and increasing bandwidth to support streaming services – and enabled them to be managed in the cloud.
“As a leading BNG vendor, Nokia is pleased to demonstrate support for a wide range of BNG deployment models including Broadband Forum’s disaggregated BNG architecture,” commented Vach Kompella, VP and GM of Nokia’s IP Networks Business Division.
“Nokia envisions a significant evolution in BNG architecture with the introduction of CUPS in fixed, wireless and 5G fixed wireless applications which will allow rapid feature introduction, optimal user plane placement and selection, as well as improved operations.”
Vodafone says the use of disaggregated BNGs will enable it to upgrade, scale, and deploy new features and add more capacity separately, increasing agility when making enhancements across its broadband network.
(Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash)
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