Broadband Forum News - February 2025

The Headlines

CEO’s note

Next month, at our Spring Member Meeting in Hong Kong, we will officially launch the new structure of our work areas. This includes our brand-new Service Requirements Work Area, which will further cement our focus on services-led broadband.

Ahead of its launch, we invite you to join a webinar on February 18 where the Service Requirements Work Area Leader, Manuel Paul will discuss the motivation for, an overview of, and how you can contribute to this new work area.

Interoperability also remains a key focus for the Broadband Forum, and our PON Plugfests are a testament to this commitment. Make sure to register for our upcoming PON Plugfest on the February 24-28, in conjunction with AT&T Labs and LANPARK, and help accelerate the deployment of interoperable PON solutions.

As always, your engagement is critical in shaping our industry. We look forward to your contributions in the coming weeks!

Craig Thomas, CEO at Broadband Forum

Contribute to the future of broadband and work with the Broadband Forum!

Broadband Forum’s upcoming Spring Member Meeting 2025 and Town Hall Innovation Series focusing on End-to-End Quality of Experience will take place in Hong Kong, from March 11-13. The Early Bird registration deadline has been extended to February 10^th, so be sure to register here.
The Broadband Forum is inviting network operators and ISPs to provide insights on the gaps in standards necessary to support the requirements of the 'Open Access' and wholesale markets during a special open Service Provider Action Council (SPAC) session at the Spring Member Meeting 2025 in Hong Kong. Be sure to submit a speaking proposal today, ahead of the deadline tomorrow, February 7. Learn more here.
The Broadband Forum will host an introductory webinar on the new Service Requirements Work Area, on February 18^that 14:30, GMT. The webinar, led by Broadband Forum President of the Board of Directors and Service Requirements Work Area Leader Manuel Paul, will provide an overview of the new work area. Be sure to register for the webinar here, and get in touch with us for more information on how to get involved.
The BASe Technical Summit 2025 is taking place right after the BBF Summer Member meeting, June 26^th & 27th. Save the dates for this unique face-to-face event that will examine the future of technology innovation and current industry challenges. You can also submit your speaking proposal here or contact Tiffany Groves or more information.
The Broadband Forum is inviting sponsors for its BASe 2025 series, a leading global educational platform. Sponsors can help shape the agenda, addressing the latest industry needs and influencing broadband’s future. Sponsorship slots are filling out fast so be sure to contact Rhonda Heier and secure your package today.
There’s still time to register for today’s kick off call to begin the planning for the 2025 Broadband Forum Innovation Demonstrations at Network X in Paris. If you are unable to join today, we invite you to participate in our next call, happening tomorrow, February 7^th. Register here.
The Broadband Forum’s Time to Event (TTE) provides a comprehensive methodology for assessing network performance across key events throughout the lifecycle of IP-based sessions. The Working Text Editor within the PEAT Project Stream, OutSys, called for networking technology leaders and experts to collaborate on the project. Learn more about the initiative and how you can become a contributor here.

News and updates

Broadband Forum’s PON Plugfest event, hosted by CableLabs, brought together leaders in the fiber sector to test the readiness and interoperability of their XGS-PON and 25GS-PON technologies. Thanks to participating companies Askey Technology, AVM GmbH, Calix, CIG, Comtrend, Cortina Access, Evolution Digital, Gemtek Technology Co. Ltd., Harmonic, Inc., Hitron Technologies Inc., MT2, Nokia, Sagemcom Broadband SAS, Sercomm, TraceSpan Communications, and Vantiva. You can read the full story, featured on ISE Magazine. The next PON Plugfest, is scheduled for February 24-28, and will focus on 25GS-PON and 50G-PON (HSP). You can register for the event here.
In an article for Embedded Computing Design, Broadband Forum Technical Chair Lincoln Lavoie explored how open source software and open standards can help BSPs thrive in the ever-evolving connected home landscape. Read the full article to learn how these tools can help BSPs to enhance their management of end-user experiences, effectively measure and monetize new opportunities, and deliver services that extend beyond a connection point here.
Broadband Forum’s latest blog, by OB-STAMP Project Lead Fabio Giudici, highlights how the OB-STAMP project is helping to address increasing customer demands for greater QoE. OB-STAMP is creating a tool that will help reduce the cost and time associated with deploying network infrastructure for measuring latency. You can read more here.
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has partnered with the Broadband Forum to center this year’s Fiber Connect 2025 Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations on one of three BBF specifications: BBF.247 (OLT/ONT Interoperability), TR-369 (User Services Platform) and/or BBF.398 for Wi-Fi Performance. Read the full announcement here, and learn more about how you can get involved here.
The Broadband Forum’s Open Broadband CloudCO Application Software Development Kit (OB-CAS) is streamlining network automation for BSPs. Learn more about how OB-CAS is enabling an open API framework, simplifying network monitoring, analytics, and maintenance, and making operations more efficient for BSPs, here.

Industry Spotlight

Services-led broadband

A ‘services-led’ broadband approach supports the industry’s shift in focus from just providing connectivity and fast speeds to delivering a richer, more tailored broadband experience for the end-user (user: individual, organization, or application that consumes broadband services) with value added services.

Instead of solely relying on speed as a differentiator, network operators prioritize QoE, offering services such as low-latency gaming, smart home integration, and enhanced customer support. This approach will help BSPs increase ARPU and reduce customer churn by offering customized service packages based on user needs. Broadband Forum’s open standards support this transition by enabling agile, multi-service networks that cater to residential, enterprise, IoT, and mobile users, ensuring a sustainable and competitive broadband future.

This shift in focus will be reflected in the new Service Requirements Work Area, which will focus on defining precise, actionable service requirements to address real-world broadband challenges and align with evolving industry priorities, all while keeping the user at the core. By adopting a "services-led" approach across our work areas, BBF remains future-focused, bridging the gap between user needs and technical innovation.

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FAN: WT-385 PON YANG Issue 2 Amendment 1: The initiative paves the way for cross-vendor OLT ITU-T PON deployment, ensuring seamless integration and greater flexibility in network infrastructure. The key business impacts include the enablement of new services and applications, improved infrastructure scalability, and a faster time to revenue for service providers.

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