The Broadband Forum announced it will provide an open source User Services Platform (USP) Agent implementation for smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. Published in April 2018, USP is an evolution of the TR-069 standard.
Created as part of the Broadband Forum's Open Broadband initiative, the Open Broadband - USP Agent (OB-USP-Agent) project is intended to provide vendors with a code base that they can either integrate into their devices or use as a reference implementation as they utilize USP.
"USP is designed to be flexible, scalable and secure, and the new open source agent implementation builds on this by allowing vendors to integrate it into their devices or use it as a reference implementation," said Barbara Stark, of AT&T, USP project lead at Broadband Forum. "This is a natural evolution for USP as the industry moves more and more towards software development. We are confident the new agent will not only help to increase interoperability but also support operators looking to launch new connected home services as additional revenue streams."
Using the same data models as TR-069, USP builds a network of controllers and agents to allow applications to manipulate service elements. This allows service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers and end-users to manage connected devices, carry out upgrades, and onboard new devices. It also features remote monitoring and troubleshooting of connected devices, services and home network links.
The open source USP Agent has been provided by Broadband Forum member ARRIS (NASDAQ:ARRS), which has already used the agent in previous USP Plugfest events and tested it against the existing USP Compliance Test Plan.
"OB-USP-Agent marks an important step in the evolution of USP, aiding adoption rates on devices," said John Blackford, product management director at ARRIS and co-director of the Broadband User Services (BUS) Work Area. "Through the vast number of TR-069 deployments, USP is the evolution of a platform that already has a proven track record, and we are confident it will support service providers looking to capitalize on the IoT market by enabling an open market without vendor lock-in."
USP's services are defined in a data model, which has new functionality and revisions added to it every six to nine months. It supports three multiple messaging protocols for different use cases - WebSockets for point-to-point legacy devices, STOMP for cloud controllers supporting LAN side devices and devices that may move from one network to the other, and CoAP for LAN communication between LAN side controllers. Planned future updates include MQTT support.
"Since its launch, USP has continued to evolve both in regard to its capabilities and its potential for the industry," said Geoff Burke, Broadband Forum CMO. "As an open standard for the industry, USP brings a unique offering to the broadband industry, with the OB-USP-Agent project marking the next step in our drive to help operators deliver carrier-class services - all the way from the central office into the home."
