Target: Deliver more value with deployment options for integrated, wireline, and mobile operators and suppliers. Optimization of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by consolidating the network, common control plane, and streamlined backend by a comprehensive, well-specified, deployed Wireless-Wireline-Convergence architecture and functions to deliver broadband services with the 5G Core.
Progress: Broadband Forum has made the convergence of broadband access with the 5G core a reality and is enriching the industry with value-added features of the 5G system. Productive cooperation with 3GPP is continuing, as is the progress of the WWC Work Area in three active Project Streams: 5G, Multi-tenant FWA, and IMS for 5G-RG.
Outcomes: A new set of capabilities and enhancements, subsuming more of the capabilities of the 5G system, whilst specifications and marketing document are in progress. Ongoing work in the WWC Work Area focuses on bringing more value to 5G for wireline and provide operators with increased flexibility, revenue potential, and deployment options. The goal is to increase the service capabilities of the network to allow operators to fully leverage convergence, while simultaneously providing more paths to transition to a single core network.
The work area continues to incorporate capabilities from the 5G Toolkit into specifications for a variety of use cases. These cover a wide spectrum and include hybrid access, enhanced work from home, and convergence of voice with the mobile system. This work will allow operators to provide a uniform experience to their customers irrespective of the access or appliance they are using, supported by a common and streamlined back office and control plane.
Expanding the deployment options for WWC, the Phase 18.1 work (in conjunction with 3GPP Release 18) addresses reliability of AGF CUPS, hybrid access, network data analytics, and support for devices behind a 5G-RG. Progress continues on key documents, WT-456 Issue 3 (AGF Functional Requirements), WT-470 Issue 3 (5G Wireless Wireline Convergence Architecture) and WT-458 Issue 2 (CUPS for 5G Wireless Wireline Convergence). The group can start addressing the new issue of WT-458, now that ATA‘s WT-459i3 act as a stable reference point.
Continuing collaboration with fellow Broadband Forum work areas, joint discussions between WWC and ATA on ‘Application of L4S to Broadband Networks’ took place. They identified key (security and legal) aspects and deployment priorities. We are calling for contributions on identified aspects.
The IMS for 5G-RG Project Stream has completed its main work item (residential voice profile specification) and is going to be closed by the end of the year. The respective work on CPE device management requirements and data modelling for IMS for 5G-RG will continue in the BUS Work Area. This is based on TR-493 (IMS for 5G-RG Architecture) and TR-494 (IMS for 5G-RG Residential Voice Requirements), enabling the convergence of legacy voice services onto the 5G system, and complements the WWC Phase 16.3. WWC brings the requirements related to functions and capabilities that are required to be supported by 5G-RG and deliver IMS-based voice services.
The work on extending Fixed Wireless Access to serve Multi-Tenant Units (MTUs) with Gigabit connectivity has been structured into two phases (IP PDU and SoftGRE for Phase 1 and Ethernet PDU for Phase 2). The recent BSP survey was reviewed to help assess and prioritize use cases, deployment scenarios and proposed architecture. There was global industry and BSP interest, with the concept and approach aligning with industry expectations.
The work area has also progressed accompanying work on marketing and education, including three marketing documents under development. MD-470 (Value of WWC) is nearing completion and has now resolved Straw Ballot comments, while the work on MD-506 (5G Hybrid Access) is still in an early stage.
Building on the momentum of the successful WWC demo showcase at Network X 2024, which included a 5G-RG, there is an opportunity to collaborate in the BBF Open Broadband Project OB-5WWC for Open-Source OS (RDK, prpl). Interested parties are encouraged to get in touch.
While resources on Multi-tenant FWA and WWC Phase 18.1 were recently released, the ongoing marketing work continuously offers great opportunities for BBF members to engage with.
For more on the WWC Work Area, please see: https://wiki.broadband-forum.org/display/BBF/Wireless-Wireline+Convergence.