Broadband Forum Launches Latest Open Source Project to Bring Full Benefits of 5G to Fixed-line Services

OB-5WWC project calls for end-to-end integrators, service providers, CPE manufacturers and hardware and software vendors to participate in the project

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The goal of a new Broadband Forum project, Open Broadband – WWC Reference Implementation for 5G-RG (OB-5WWC) is for vendors and operators to bring products to market in a shorter timeframe and enjoy reduced development times and cycles. The Open Source project will bring the full benefits of the 5G ecosystem to fixed-line services and offer a full end-to-end solution to operators.

OB-5WWC aims to create a reference implementation of the Broadband Forum specified Wireless Wireline Convergence solution for 5G capable Residential Gateways (5G-RGs), and builds on the important Broadband Forum and 3GPP specifications already available. The founding members from BT, Deutsche Telekom, Telecom Italia, Telstra, Verizon and Vodafone UK had a formal kick off meeting last month.

“The formation of the OB-5WWC project will help to fulfil the need for 5G and fixed-line convergence that is now viewed as a fundamental need, and will ensure the full benefits of the 5G ecosystem can be realized,” said Broadband Forum OB-5WWC Project Leader David Woolley. “We have already received strong support from the service provider community and are calling for all interested parties across the industry, including customer premises equipment (CPE) manufacturers, end-to-end integrators, and hardware and software vendors, to join the project and share ideas.”

OB-5WWC seeks to provide a production grade 5G solution stack capable of integration with OpenWRT/RDK-B frameworks, and aims to provide a reference for testing Access Gateway Function (AGF) and RG test tool development. Integrating the 5G Quality of Service (QoS) model to the home, 5G-RG can natively support 5G signalling protocols and capabilities, as well as help connect services and opportunities.

“With key 5G specifications already available, the project is an opportunity for industry players to work together and collaborate on implementations that create the best reference implementation for 5G-RG,” Broadband Forum Vice President, OB-5WWC Project Leader and Deutsche Telekom Senior Expert Technology and Innovation Manuel Paul said. “Broadband Forum’s work is of critical importance to operators so that they can bring their products to market in a shorter timeframe, and manufacturers can focus on developing products, with reduced time needed in the development cycle.”

For any interested parties (including non-Broadband Forum members) that wish to be part of the project, please sign the project participation agreement online here.

For more information about Broadband Forum, visit: https://www.broadband-forum.org/.

About the Broadband Forum

Broadband Forum is the communications industry’s leading open standards development organization focused on accelerating broadband innovation, standards, and ecosystem development. Our members’ passion – delivering on the promise of broadband by enabling smarter and faster broadband networks and a thriving broadband ecosystem.

Broadband Forum is an open, non-profit industry organization composed of the industry’s leading broadband operators, vendors, thought leaders who are shaping the future of broadband, and observers who closely track our progress. Its work to date has been the foundation for broadband’s global proliferation and innovation. For example, the Forum’s flagship TR-069 CPE WAN Management Protocol has nearly 1 billion installations worldwide.

Broadband Forum’s projects span across 5G, Connected Home, Cloud, and Access. Its working groups collaborate to define best practices for global networks, enable new revenue-generating service and content delivery, establish technology migration strategies, and engineer critical device, service & development management tools in the home and business IP networking infrastructure. We develop multi-service broadband packet networking specifications addressing architecture, device and service management, software data models, interoperability and certification in the broadband market.

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