The Broadband Forum, an open standard development organization, has finalized two new standards for 5G on fixed wireless networks.
The two new standards are designed to support the 3GPP release cycles and is based on contributions from operators and vendors worldwide.
The two standards, 5G Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) Architecture (TR-470) and Access Gateway Function (AGF) Functional Requirements (TR-456), build on previous 5G work for a roadmap to deliver 5G on broadband.
The TR-470 describes the 5G FMC architecture and acts as a guide for network architects and planners while the TR-456 describes the functional requirements for the AGF that resides between fixed access networks and the 5G core network for 5G and wireline residential gateways.
The specifications for carrier grade Wi-Fi are in progress including standards: TR-181, two root data model to address 5G resident gateways; and Open Broadband-Broadband Access Abstraction (OB-BAA) and virtualization of the ONU management and control interface are smoothing the way to software-driven cloud-based access networks in order for fixed networks to scale with the large amounts of data that 5G will bring.
“Broadband Forum’s latest specifications are key pieces of the very big jigsaw that must be created and completed to deliver on 5G — and we are working with operators to define those pieces quickly, efficiently, and, most importantly, together as an open collaborative effort, preventing fragmentation and misalignments between stakeholders,” said Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum. “The breadth of our ongoing work and how much of that has 5G at its core is significant and the holistic approach we can take is unique to the broadband industry and critical to the ongoing development of 5G.”
