STL this month announced it has successfully completed a proof-of-concept (PoC) for its programmable FTTx (pFTTx) software products with Chunghwa Telecom's open broadband access network.
The PoC collaboration demonstrated how STL's fully virtualized OLT software stack will enable Chunghwa to upgrade its Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) to XGS-PON (10 Gig Symmetric PON) fiber access technology for delivering symmetric broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps.
STL says the PoC successfully establishes pFTTx as a fully cloud-native, disaggregated and open networking compliant solution for last-mile fixed access connectivity.
Chunghwa Telecom is the largest integrated telecommunication service provider in Taiwan. As it is looking to evolve its FTTx footprint, the provider is adopting a virtualized, disaggregated and open access technology, STL's pFTTx: a virtual OLT (Optical Line Terminal) software stack which enables Chunghwa to transform its FTTx network into a cloud-native network architecture.
The pFTTx platform leverages white box partner hardware to provide a feature-rich solution, notes STL. The PoC trial further established connectivity with Chunghwa's commercial network, demonstrating use cases such as BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) integration and live IPTV server integration.
STL's open source system allows Chunghwa Telecom to use devices and software from different providers, rather than being constrained by single vendor lock-ins.
The successful PoC demonstration and live network integration "has firmly established STL's open networking compliant approach as an alternative to monolithic, proprietary solutions for fixed access. By enabling programmability at the core of the network and decoupling white-box hardware from software, STL's pFTTx software stack brings more flexibility, cost efficiency and service excellence to edge networks," contends a company statement.
Chris Rice, CEO, Access Solutions, STL, commented: "Virtualization, disaggregation and openness, both in the wired and wireless domains, will shape the network landscape in the coming years. We are very glad to announce the successful integration of STL's virtualised OLT software stack (pFTTx) into Chunghwa Telecom's broadband access network. This successful Proof of Concept will go a long way in building and scaling open, disaggregated wired access networks, that will be critical in delivering 5G use cases to millions of customers."
Dr. Lin, President of Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories, concluded: "To effectively consolidate the potential of development, production, and marketing, while leveraging the technical capability to build a robust ecosystem, is not only a challenge but also an opportunity for Chunghwa Telecom. Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories embraces open networking standards and will continue our collaboration with software/hardware partners in exploring the advantages of network infrastructure and cloud architecture."
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