• Open Broadband project – Broadband Access Abstraction (OB-BAA)
• Broadband Forum releases the first code and documentation
• Focus on cloud-based access infrastructure and services
• An alternative approach to a total replacement strategy

The Broadband Forum is pushing ahead with its Open Broadband project, with the release of the first code and supporting documentationfor Broadband Access Abstraction (OB-BAA) to enable standardized, automated and accelerated deployment of new cloud-based access infrastructure and services.

The idea is to provide an alternative approach to the total replacement strategy faced by telcos as they look to upgrade their networks. The Open Broadband approach seeks to offer co-existence, seamless migration and the agility to adapt to a wide variety of software-defined access models.

The Forum the OB-BAA can be used today as an integrated layer in its CloudCO project, and that it also complements other industry initiatives and work being done by related industry groups, such as ONF. The OB-BAA specifies northbound interfaces, core components and southbound interfaces for functions associated with access devices that have been virtualized. In so doing, it removes the need for complex deployment planning by decoupling the device and software implementation decisions from business and market ones.

The project already has the backing of BT, China Telecom, CenturyLink and Telecom Italia, as well as numerous vendors that include Broadcom and Nokia – although the support of Huawei and ZTE may irritate government security bodiesin certain countries.

Key Quotes:

“OB-BAA enables operators to optimize their decision-making process for introducing new infrastructure based on user demand and acceptance instead of being forced into a total replacement strategy,” said Robin Mersh, Broadband Forum CEO. “By reducing planning, risks and execution time, investment in new systems and services can be incremental.”

“The first release of OB-BAA delivers an open reference implementation based on standards-compliant interfaces, that operators and vendors worldwide can use to develop and deploy interoperable cloud-based access networks more easily and quickly,” said Tim Carey, Lead Technology Strategist at Nokia and Chair of the Broadband Forum’s BAA project.

Original Press Release: 

Broadband Forum automates, accelerates cloud-based access deployment

Fremont, California, August 22, 2018: The Broadband Forum today announced the first code release and documentation of its new Open Broadband project – Broadband Access Abstraction (OB-BAA) to enable standardized, automated and accelerated deployment of new cloud-based access infrastructure and services.

What differentiates this Open Broadband reference implementation is that it facilitates co- existence, seamless migration and the agility to adapt to an increasingly wide variety of software defined access models - the key business and operational challenge in creating a potentially vast market.

“OB-BAA enables operators to optimize their decision-making process for introducing new infrastructure based on user demand and acceptance instead of being forced into a total replacement strategy,” said Robin Mersh, Broadband Forum CEO. “By reducing planning, risks and execution time, investment in new systems and services can be incremental.” As a freely-published, open source project, OB-BAA specifies northbound interfaces, core components and southbound interfaces for functions associated with access devices that have been virtualized. It is this standardized, layered architecture designed for SDN automation that distinguishes it from other approaches. It removes the need for difficult deployment planning by decoupling the device and software implementation choices from business and market decisions.

An important and immediate use of OB-BAA is as an integrated layer in the Broadband Forum’s CloudCO project, as described in the published ‘CloudCO Architectural Framework (TR-384).’ OB-BAA also complements other industry initiatives and the work is being actively coordinated with related industry activities such as ONF.

“The first release of OB-BAA marks a major milestone for the industry,” said Tim Carey, Lead Technology Strategist at Nokia and Chair of the Broadband Forum’s BAA project. “It delivers an open reference implementation based on standards-compliant interfaces, that operators and vendors worldwide can use to develop and deploy interoperable cloud-based access networks more easily and quickly.”

Operators and equipment manufacturers involved in the project include Broadcom, BT, Calix, CenturyLink, China Telecom, Huawei, Nokia, Telecom Italia, Tibit, the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL) and ZTE.

“OB-BAA is very important reference implementation of Cloud CO,” said Binchao Lin, Access Network Architect at Huawei and VC of OB-BAA. “It is a project which is important to the entire broadband community.”

The first of several planned releases, consisting of code and supporting documentation is now publicly available at obbaa.broadband-forum.org. Companies interested in participating in the ongoing work should contact: [email protected]. In addition to the release, the Forum has published a new OB-BAA system overview paper and is holding a public webinar on Wednesday, August 29, featuring service providers and vendors. For further information and to register for the webinar, please see [https://www.broadband- forum.org/baa](https://www.broadband- forum.org/baa).