AT&T (NYSE:T) recently trialed a 10 Gbps XGS-PON virtualized network using Open Source Access Manager Hardware Abstraction (OSAM-HA) software in Atlanta and Dallas. OSAM-HA is formerly VOLTHA.
In the field trials, the XGS-PON system tested multi-gigabit Internet traffic and DirecTV NOW video. The telco used a virtualized broadband network gateway (BNG) function to manage subscribers.
XGS-PON is a fixed wavelength symmetrical 10 Gbps passive optical network (PON) technology. AT&T plans to use it to virtualize access functions within the last-mile access network.
For the technology to work within existing GPON networks, the telco used a coexistence element. The trials indicated that GPON and XGS wavelengths could both exist across a single fiber.
"Our network is constantly evolving. We'll continue to execute our software-based network strategy to technologies like 5G, virtualized RAN, and G.fast over time. Ultimately, instead of deploying islands of technology that have SDN control, we want to orchestrate the entire end-to-end network through ONAP," said Eddy Barker, assistant vice president, Access Architecture and Design, AT&T.
ONAP (Open Network Automation Platform) is AT&T's virtual access project within the Linux Foundation and will use the first iteration of OSAM-HA technology.
OSAM is a vendor-agnostic operational suite for managing consumer and business broadband access network elements and capabilities, separate from vendor-specific access element management systems (EMS).