CableLabs Kyrio unit nabs a big Wi-Fi client, changes CEOs

Kyrio has had an active few weeks. The for-profit CableLabs subsidiary landed a testing deal with Wi-Fi management specialist Plume and saw a shift in leadership amid the recent departure of former CEO Ike Elliott.

In a deal that could represent Kyrio's biggest Wi-Fi-related program to date, the company recently announced it has become the first authorized testing lab for OpenSync, the Plume-led software framework/common management platform for Wi-Fi. Testing will focus on both new and upgraded OpenSync-powered devices. Allion Labs has a team in Taiwan that also handles OpenSync certification testing.

Kyrio's deal with OpenSync came together as demand rises among device manufacturers that want to implement OpenSync, according to Jason Lauer, Kyrio's VP of engineering and operations.

He said Kyrio has been working with Plume on OpenSync testing for about two years and likewise has long-standing test relationships with about 95% of the manufacturers that are already implementing the framework through DOCSIS testing, other forms of Wi-Fi testing or security-related testing. Examples of companies in the OpenSync ecosystem include Broadcom, MediaTek, MaxLinear, Askey, Sagemcom, CommScope, Humax, Qualcomm, Hitron and Sercomm.

In addition to operating a 14,000-square-foot testing lab, Kyrio also owns a 5,000-square-foot home in Brighton, Colorado, where it runs real-world Wi-Fi performance tests and some customized testing.

Related:CableLabs' Kyrio unit sets sights on network convergence

The new agreement will stand up a hardened certification process for devices that use OpenSync, including Wi-Fi routers and extenders, for both residential and business use cases. Kyrio has not publicized its pricing for the program.

But it is poised to be a large piece of business for Kyrio, a unit that was once known as NetworkFX before a rebranding in 2016. In fact, it could become Kyrio's leading Wi-Fi program within the next 12 to 18 months, Lauer said.

Kyrio is also looking to expand in other areas. The company is developing a 25-Gig PON interop project for a "major" but unnamed US operator, according to Lauer, and is in discussions with a number of optical line terminal (OLT) vendors to get them involved.

That work relates to an initiative underway at CableLabs to boost its focus on fiber-to-the-premises technologies, work that includes the launch of a pair of new working groups.

CEO change

Meanwhile, Kyrio will be pushing ahead with a new leader. Ike Elliott, Kyrio's CEO since the fall of 2020 and an exec at CableLabs since 2010, announced on LinkedIn that he is leaving the organization. He's staying on for a couple of months to assist with the transition.

Related:What's next for Kyrio?

Jeff Leget has taken the reins of Kyrio. (Source: CableLabs/Kyrio)

CableLabs confirmed that Jeff Leget, another exec of the organization, has taken the reins at Kyrio. Leget most recently served as SVP of infrastructure at CableLabs.