Rhonda Heier, Director of Membership at The Broadband Forum
Our latest Member Meeting in the vibrant city of Hong Kong was more than just a reunion of familiar faces and new friends. It was the next leap forward towards progress and innovation along with celebrating the incredible impact our members are making in broadband.
These meetings aren’t just about catching up (though the city lights on the harbor and good company don’t hurt). They’re where the latest industry trends are introduced, debated, dissected and solved - live and in real time. But more than that, these meetings are where we shine a spotlight on improving the quality of service for customers and connectivity for all - where our members collaborate to drive forward the progress towards that shared goal.
A New Era, A New Work Area
One of the biggest moments from our Spring meeting? The official launch of our newest member-driven Work Area: Service Requirements. This is more than just a new initiative - it’s a shift in focus that reflects the broadband industry’s evolution.
Broadband Forum’s 2025 Spring Meeting.
The focus on speed alone hasn’t solved the problem. The industry has come to realize it’s all about the experience of the customer. That’s why we’re zeroing in on services-led broadband. The new Work Area will develop meaningful standards that directly address rising user expectations. And that work starts - and succeeds - with participating members. Thank you to all the Members around the globe already contributing. The more members who contribute, the stronger the outcomes. This is an open call for all to get involved – service providers, hyperscalers, vendors, regulators, and educational institutions and industry influencers.
Curious about why this new area matters so much? Check out the thoughts of Manuel Paul, BBF Board President and Deutsche Telekom Squad Lead Network Convergence, in this blog for a deep dive into the thinking behind it.
Your Contributions, Your Impact
Every one of our Work Areas - from Access and Connected User to Network Architecture and Provider Cloud with support from YANG Ninjas experts - relies on member input to fuel progress. And now, with Service Requirements in the mix, there are even more opportunities to have your voice heard and make your mark.
Members aren’t just collaborators - they’re drivers of change. Whether you’re a service provider or vendor, your insights shape the technical standards that can transform tomorrow’s networks. Broadband Forum specifications are utilized: rolled out and put into operation. Just look at the success of TR-069, which was integrated into over a billion devices worldwide, and the rapidly expanding deployments of User Services Platform (USP/TR-369) by service providers worldwide.
We celebrate the amazing work our members do. Our annual awards honor individual achievements across three categories, recognizing those who go above and beyond, dedicating themselves and their work to advance broadband. Check out this year’s honoree list here.
Where to Get Involved – it is all here, End-to-End
Even if you missed our Hong Kong gathering, you can still catch up on the latest projects by downloading our meeting newsletter. There’s exciting work happening across the span of broadband, end-to-end.
- Access: Enable multi-vendor interoperability for the last mile, ensure continued PON interoperability Plugfest success and innovate Access Networks and FWA solutions.
- Connected User: Drives the development of USP for smarter, more seamless connectivity with a focus on use cases for the managed home and new monetized services, including service containerization, smart home, and IOT connectivity.
- Network Architecture: Tackling complex network architectures, interfaces, and elements that enable multi-service, converged broadband and the measurements to monitor and ensure high-quality, end-to-end broadband user experience (QoE).
- Provider Cloud: Shaping cloud infrastructure, architecture, and interfaces that support software-defined broadband service delivery.
- Service Requirements: Foster user-centric service requirements and innovation for intelligent broadband that delivers on the applications and services that subscribers demand and the Quality of Experience they need.
Want In? Here’s How.
If your company is already a member, it’s easy to dive in. Head over to the relevant Work Area page on our Wiki. If you have questions on how to get started, reach out to [email protected]. Got an idea? Bring it! Principal Members are encouraged to pitch new projects that reflect what matters most to their business and customers.
Not a member yet? No problem - just reach out to me at [email protected], and let’s talk about how you can get involved. We offer complimentary guest passes to companies interested in becoming a member, either to get involved or track our work. Attending our member meeting is a great opportunity to network with our active members and get an inside look at our work in progress.
Our Summer Member meeting is happening the week of June 23rd in Munich, Germany, with our BASe Technical Summit industry education event happening in the same venue on June 26th-27th. Service Providers, journalists, and regulators are invited to register for the Summit free of charge.
Let’s keep building the future of broadband - together.