New open software code for the home gateway redefines broadband experience

The time it takes to deploy new value-added services for broadband customers has been drastically reduced from months to weeks opening the door to delivering an app-store-like experience via broadband routers.

Value-added services like cybersecurity, remote working, and gaming experience controls are key for broadband providers to transition to providing services-led broadband with greater user experience and satisfaction. For Internet Service Providers (ISPs), they enable service differentiation and increased average revenue per user (ARPU), while consumers will be able to easily add new services into their home networks.

The latest release of the open-source reference software for the User Services Platform (TR-369) agent – dubbed “Heron” – from Broadband Forum marks significant progress towards achieving this vision, simplifying the integration between application vendors and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) firmware vendors.

“The Heron release reduces the time that it takes for ISPs to deploy new services down to as little as 2-4 weeks, rather than 9-18 months,” said Broadband Forum Chairman and OB-USP-Agent project lead John Blackford. “Previously, if an ISP wanted to deploy a new service, the app and CPE firmware vendors had to integrate software into the firmware, build a new version of the firmware, and push this out to all end-user devices.

“Each integration had to be unique and couldn’t work seamlessly with the TR-181 Device:2 data model. But now individual applications can be deployed on a standardized platform that allows interoperability and innovation for a host of new services.”

Heron (Release 8) from the Broadband Forum’s Open Broadband User Services Platform Agent (OB-USP-Agent) project team implements new features from key connected home management specifications (USP 1.3 and TR-181 Device:2.16).

They allow each application to interact with and access a device’s data model to retrieve information and convey its capabilities to device management systems. The software lifecycle of these applications can also be managed by the ISP, streamlining the process of introducing new services.

Broadband Forum CEO Craig Thomas said: “This really is a holy grail of sorts for an app-enabled services gateway and for other CPE. We’ve worked closely with prpl Foundation to bring this innovation to reality, and the Open Broadband USP Agent is a key part of that. This latest release means ISPs can work with different firmware and application vendors to rapidly deploy new services, and broadband customers can now access these value-added services in the home faster than ever before.”

Read the latest blog article on the Heron release, what this means for the broadband industry, and more about what USP Agents and Controllers are here.

About the Broadband Forum

The Broadband Forum is an industry-driven global standards development organization helping operators, application providers, and vendors deliver better, services-led broadband.

As the industry-recognized center of competence, the Broadband Forum provides an accessible, efficient, and effective community where all broadband stakeholders can collaborate on, develop, and promote open standards and open software. This provides the basis for deployable solutions for the global broadband industry.

The forum publishes interoperable standards and open software, has launched certification programs, and promotes industry education. These best practices and models can be adopted to help realize an effective broadband ecosystem that drives a thriving, services-led broadband industry based on global collaboration, open standards, and open source, maximizing value for all stakeholders.

For more information, visit https://www.broadband-forum.org/. For the latest updates, follow Broadband Forum on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

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