Relieves growing pains for mobile network operators
The Broadband Forum claims it is publishing new ‘hacks’ that can simplify and expedite the preparation of a new service by mobile network operators (MNOs). By applying these new rules to the process of adding each new Optical Network Unit (ONU) vendor to their armoury, MNOs can alleviate their growing pains.
Spell binding
The secrets of saving money, stress lowering and agony avoidance lie in the application of new networking remedies that aren’t easily understood by the layman, as you may notice below. These inventions, for an exclusive engineering sect, have just been specified in two spell books, AKA publications, released by the Broadband Forum (BF).
vOMCI
The BF’s TR-451 vOMCI Specification and MR-451 ONU Management with Virtualized OMCI have shown operators some powerful options available to them when they create, activate and maintain services associated with ONUs. Previously, the management cycle of the ONU was tied to a specific vendor’s Optical Line Terminal (OLT). The latest specification allows operators to de-couple the ONU and OLT from control and management purposes, with the Virtualised ONU Management (vOMCI) being introduced as a solution to centralise operations without relying on each OLT to act as a management entity, says the Forum.
New service
This means MNOs’ OLT vendors no longer need to be intimately involved in the roll-out of the management services and features provided by the ONU. TR-451 also increases the number of potential ONU vendors, so operators can negotiate best prices for ONUs from a better bargaining position. The specification makes interoperability testing easier, so taking on a new ONU and assimilating it with the MNO’s ecosystem and cloud is a lot more effective. It supports all kinds of deployment models where virtualised functions are let loose in the cloud or within existing management systems.
Future proof
“The latest specification can be used by operators to future-proof their infrastructure while maintaining their investment in existing ONU devices,” said Bruno Cornaglia, Co-Director of the SDN/NFV Work Area at Broadband Forum. “Ultimately, ONU management will be more adaptive to changes in operators’ processes and services – and cheaper to maintain.”