Target: Deliver more value with deployment options for integrated, wireline, and mobile operators and suppliers. Optimization of the Total Cost of Ownership by consolidating 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, is enriching the industry with value-added features of the 5G system, and continues its productive cooperation with 3GPP. The WWC Work Area continues to progress work in three active Project Streams: 5G, Multi-tenant FWA, and IMS for 5G-RG.
Outcomes: New set of capabilities and enhancements, subsuming more of the capabilities of the 5G system, with specifications and marketing documents 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 at the same time giving them more paths to transition to a single core network.
The work area continues to incorporate capabilities from the 5G Toolkit into specifications to realize a variety of use cases. These range across a broad spectrum and include topics such as 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. The work area continues work 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).
Continuing collaboration with fellow Broadband Fourm work areas, a joint project between WWC and ATA on ‘Application of L4S to Broadband Networks’ was initiated.
The IMS for 5G-RG Project Stream continues its work on 5G-RG IMS-based voice support, defining related CPE device management requirements to be specified in TR-124 and the data model extensions for TR-181. This is based on TR-493 (IMS for 5G-RG Architecture) and TR-494 (IMS for 5G-RG Residential Voice Requirements), enabling to converge legacy voice services onto the 5G system, and complements the WWC Phase 16.3. The WWC Work Area continues to work with the BUS Work Area on 5G-RG management, including the cellular interface data model to support 5G Fixed-Wireless gateways. 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, following discussions about tunneling approaches (PDU session type IP or Ethernet) to be pursued. The work area encourages service providers members to use the Survey, which has now been launched following the meeting, to help assess and prioritize use cases, deployment scenarios and requirements. The work area has also progressed accompanying work on marketing and education, including three marketing documents currently under development. While MD-470 (Value of WWC) is nearing completion and is now being prepared for Straw Ballot readiness, the work on MD-506 (5G Hybrid Access) is still in an early stage. A new marketing document MD-516 addressing the benefits of Multi-Tenant Fixed Wireless Access has been initiated. Discussions are progressing on WWC use cases for this year’s Broadband Forum Innovation Demos at Network X (October 8-11) with engaged participants to join with their 5G Core Network, AGF, and 5G-RG components. While resources about Multi-tenant FWA and WWC Phase 18.1 were recently released, the ongoing marketing work continuously offers great opportunities for BBF members to engage.
For more on the WWC Work Area, please see: https://wiki.broadband-forum.org/display/BBF/Wireless-Wireline+Convergence.