Arris said it is the first supplier to offer Reference Design Kit (RDK) software on its new lineup of EPON gateways, seizing on a trend that has seen cable operators complement their networks with targeted fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) deployments.
The move will put those cable operators in position to unify the software stack they are using for broadband gateways that support both their widely deployed hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks and the small subset of FTTP networks.
RDK is a preintegrated software stack for IP-capable set-tops and gateways that is managed by a joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications. RDK has been adapted for both video set-tops (RDK-V) and broadband devices (RDK-B). More than 350 companies spanning CPE makers, silicon vendors, software developers, systems integrators and service providers are currently part of the RDK community.
Service providers that are implementing RDK software include Comcast and Cox Communications in the U.S.; Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and Videotron in Canada; Liberty Global, NOS, The Quickline Group, Vodafone and Tele Columbus in Europe; and J:COM, Japan’s largest cable operator.
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Arris said the integration of RDK into its new EPON gateways will provide MSOs with a unified backoffice system for both fiber and DOCSIS architectures while also simplifying elements such as network provisioning. Arris has also tied its own HomeAssure home WiFi management platform into those EPON devices.
Arris said it recently completed its first RDK EPON gateway deployment in the U.S. with an unnamed tier-1 operator (Comcast is one of the known MSO adopters of EPON technology) and has already pushed ahead with “high-volume” RDK deployments on multiple DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 gateways.
"Arris’s support of RDK for its global EPON gateways is a testament to the continuous innovation of Arris and also demonstrates the versatility of the RDK open-source software," Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management LLC, said in a statement. "As service providers around the globe look to deploy fiber gateways, RDK provides a common method to manage core functionality, including home networking, IoT interfaces, device management, real time diagnostics, and more."
