The Forum’s new project addresses traffic management to handle rising demand for bandwidth driven by video consumption.
The aim is to facilitate broadband networks gateways’ (BNG) scalability by creating a more agile architecture.
Disaggregation also simplifies network operation: without it operators must deploy and manage multiple BNGs across many locations that are closer to the network’s edge to address load spreading.
Scaling planes
These factors have created problems in scaling control and user planes , as well as geographical-related issues like fragmented IP-pool management, underused control planes, and complex operation and management of software upgrades and service provisioning.
Hence the project will define the architecture and requirements for a disaggregated BNG control and user planes, which separate the two planes.
This will enable centralised locations for configuration and managing IP addresses, leading to faster delivery of new services. The work will also ensure the planes can be easily scaled to meet bandwidth demand.
New ground
“As demand for both broadband and bandwidth-hungry video applications grows, the disaggregation of the BNG for scalability is critical to mitigate issues created by distributed BNG deployments,” said Kevin Foster, Chairman of Broadband Forum.
“Over the years, BNGs have also had to evolve to support new functionalities such as management of multiple types of accesses, transport encapsulations and customers.
“This work will ensure flexible scalability through a simplified and agile architecture.”
For more information on Broadband Forum’s BNG Disaggregation project and other areas of focus within the Access & Transport Architecture Work Area, watch this summary video from Project Stream and Work Area Director Dave Sinicrope, of Ericsson.