VODAFONE
AND PARTNERS IN WORLD FIRST MULTI-VENDOR TEST OF NEW BROADBAND STANDARD
Vodafone, Benu Networks, Casa Systems, Cisco and Nokia test paves the way for
faster open broadband networks
Test validates
Broadband Forum global standard for interoperability between different
vendors
Vodafone,
together with Benu Networks, Casa Systems, Cisco and Nokia, have successfully
tested a system that will make it quicker and easier to deliver faster fixed
broadband services to new and existing customers across Europe.
In a world first, the companies applied a new open
architecture to the Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) - a critical component for
connecting multiple users to the Internet - to enable it to work using separate
software and hardware from multiple vendors. This is an important step in
opening up the current single-supplier, monolithic broadband gateways to
greater technological innovation from a more diverse supply chain.
Called
Disaggregated BNG, the technology will change the way broadband networks are
built. Using the global TR-459 standard devised by the Broadband Forum, the
test allowed the core control functions of the gateway, such as authenticating
a user and increasing bandwidth to support streaming services, to be separated
and managed efficiently in the cloud whilst ensuring multi-vendor
interoperability. Vodafone can then separately upgrade, scale and deploy new
features and add more capacity, enabling greater agility and faster time to
market when making enhancements across its pan-European broadband network.
Johan
Wibergh, Chief Technology Officer for Vodafone, said: “We are already driving a
more diverse and open mobile ecosystem with Open RAN, and now we are targeting
fixed broadband. 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.”
Disaggregated
BNG will also lower development costs for existing and new ecosystem partners
and allow deeper integration with 5G.
Source: Vodafone media announcement
