ADTRAN service orchestration aims for gigabit FTTH service deployment efficiency

ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN) has announced service orchestration capabilities via what it calls "Captive Portal" that, in combination with a new line of gigabit Wi-Fi optical network terminals (ONTs), can reduce gigabit fiber to the home (FTTH) service turn-up by as much as 10X, the company claims. The new FTTH capabilities were developed in consultation with "several key customers" and have already reached the field.

The Captive Portal capabilities are part of an overall foray into software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) that ADTRAN calls Future Network State. According to Kurt Raaflaub, product marketing manager at the company, the Captive Portal capabilities enable installers to deliver the ONT to the customer's home and configure it in consultation with the customer via a laptop connected to the service provider's BSS/OSS environment. This capability obviates the need for preprovisioning of the hardware or manual tweaks at the customer site. In addition to ensuring the customer gets the services initially ordered, the in-home conversation enables opportunities for up-selling, Raaflaub points out.

Meanwhile, the gigabit Wi-Fi capabilities of the new ADTRAN 424RG Wireless Residential Gateway ONT enable in-home access to the gigabit broadband bandwidth without having to adjust, install, or otherwise touch on-premises wiring, Raaflaub says. Customer experiences with the combination of the Captive Portal and the gigabit Wi-Fi capabilities has shown a significant reduction in the time, expense, and complexity of new service provision, he reports.

"Increased competitive pressure from over-the-top (OTT) video and mobile voice is pushing service providers towards more pure broadband service offerings. In order to maximize profitability for these services, it is essential for service providers to find ways to decrease time to market and reduce the cost per connected home," offered Jeff Heynen, senior principal analyst, IHS Technology, via an ADTRAN press release. "ADTRAN is the first to bring to market service orchestration capabilities that reduce the time-intensive, manual nature of turning up Gigabit broadband services by introducing the ADTRAN Captive Portal. This fundamentally changes the cost structure for how service providers add new subscribers."

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