Fiber Connect 2024, set to take place from July 28-31 in Nashville, Tennessee, will feature a series of groundbreaking Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations by seventeen companies. These demonstrations will showcase innovations in Connected Home services, emphasizing how fiber broadband’s superior capacity, scale, latency, and security enhance the subscriber experience.
“These cutting-edge demonstrations will bring together key players from across the industry and highlight the importance of interoperability and standardization in creating a customer-centric ecosystem, while improving operational efficiency, time-to-market for new applications, and opening up business opportunities for service providers,” stated a representative from the Fiber Broadband Association.
Evann Freeman, Fiber Broadband Association Board Member and Conference Committee Chair, and Vice President of Government & Community Relations at EPB of Chattanooga, highlighted the transformative potential of these concepts. “These concepts will demonstrate the power of the fiber broadband ecosystem on the subscriber experience and fiber’s ability to support disruption, change market dynamics, and push the boundaries of possibilities,” said Freeman. “Our industry has some of the brightest minds at work to solve the connectivity challenges ahead as we look to connect every household in America, push past current technology limitations, and open up new frontiers with AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Networking, and many other exciting innovations.”
The PoC demonstrations at Fiber Connect 2024 will involve collaborative projects featuring at least one member company of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) or the Broadband Forum (BBF). Many will leverage BBF’s Connected Home specifications: BBF.247 GPON ONU, focusing on multi-vendor interoperability between Optical Line Terminals (OLTs) and Optical Network Units (ONUs), and BBF.369 User Services Platform (USP), a managed services ecosystem adding value to the connected home. These demonstrations will also explore innovative IoT, AI, security, and other smart home solutions aligned with the conference theme, “Accelerating our Fiber Future.”
Ken Pyle, Director of Marketing at Broadband Forum, expressed excitement about the collaborative efforts. “We are delighted to take part in the Fiber Connect PoC presentations and demonstrate how our standards enable seamless smart home services and subscriber management beyond the fiber connection point,” said Pyle.
The 2024 PoC demonstrations include:
Empowering Connectivity: Collaborative Approach to Overcoming Broadband Challenges in Unserved and Underserved Communities – presented by Ciena, Heights Telecom, Cambridge Industries Group Inc, and Axiros. This PoC focuses on creating secure, flexible, and cost-effective broadband networks for rural areas, enabling network operators to differentiate services, monetize fiber investments, and achieve long-term financial success.
B2C Value-Added Services Automation to Maximize CSP Fiber Investments – presented by Incognito, Harmonic, KAON Broadband. This PoC uses network automation and open APIs to reduce OPEX and IT costs, speeding up the launch of new CSP products.
Fiber Optic Sensing in Telecom Applications – presented by Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), Luna Innovations, and Underline Infrastructure. This PoC showcases the use of fiber optic sensing for monitoring physical cable plants, detecting threats, preventing damage, and more.
Corteca Cloud as a USP-Based, Multi-Vendor Wi-Fi Management + Device Management Solution – presented by Nokia and Singel. This PoC demonstrates a platform for managing devices, applications, and Wi-Fi networks across multiple vendors.
Empowering Interoperability to Accelerate Fiber to the Home and Deliver Service Excellence – presented by Calix and Zyxel Communications. This PoC highlights integration between systems, devices, and managed services to enhance operational efficiency and market speed.
Wholesale Open Access for FTTH Networks – presented by Nokia and Condor Technologies. This PoC features an enhanced wholesale API and UI for FTTH networks, providing VNO tenants with autonomy and operators with increased take rate and ROI.
Empowering Connectivity: Enhancing Short-Term Rentals with Flexible Internet Packages – presented by CompaxDigital. This PoC offers flexible billing and customer management for short-term rentals, increasing revenue and customer satisfaction.
Free Space Optical Communication – presented by Taara. This PoC explores wireless optical communication (WOC) technology for bridging middle mile gaps in broadband infrastructure, with applications in fiber backup, event venue backhaul, and disaster relief.
The PoCs will be presented in the Fiber Connect 2024 Expo Hall on July 29-30 and evaluated by industry analysts. Awards will be given for Most Innovative PoC, Best Community Impact, and Game Changer.
For more information about Fiber Connect 2024, visit the conference website or subscribe to the Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter for updates.