The DSL Forum is broadening its mission beyond DSL to address interoperability and management across DSL, fiber and alternative broadband technologies. In addition to the new access technologies, the expanded focus will also include the network control layer or a service provider network and the broadband home network.
“The DSL Forum serves as the catalyst for developing critical standards necessary for the delivery of DSL and integrated services across the globe,” said Matt Davis, Director, Consumer Multiplay at IDC. “Companies not normally associated strictly with DSL, such as consumer electronics vendors and home networking companies, stand to benefit as the DSL Forum evolves in order to create the technological underpinnings necessary for the delivery of voice, video, and multimedia over DSL and other broadband technologies.”
The DSL Forum’s new BroadbandSuite initiative
has three focus areas:
- BroadbandControl: Creates an intelligent, programmable control layer that unifies management of next-generation network elements and devices, which empowers service providers to deliver personalized services that enhance the subscriber’s broadband experience.
- BroadbandAccess: Defines specifications for broadband-agnostic access network architectures, evolving from ATM to Ethernet-based access aggregation. With Ethernet, service providers can better support high-bandwidth applications such as IPTV, video on demand and videoconferencing.
- BroadbandHome: Unifies the home networking environment by establishing a common set of capabilities for networked devices as well as automating device activation and configuration to simplify the service delivery process.
