Broadband Forum CEO: ISPs are paving a path to 'Connectivity+'Broadband Forum CEO: ISPs are paving a path to 'Connectivity+'

Light Reading talked to Broadband Forum CEO Craig Thomas to discuss how and why operators are shifting toward a 'services-led' model that puts more focus on apps and services that can be layered on top of the core connection.

At a Glance

  • How Broadband Forum is helping operators to pursue 'services-led' strategies (00:30)
  • How open source platforms can also help operators experiment with new apps and services without a firmware change (04:20)
  • How broadband is no longer just about raw speeds and pricing, but more about driving a better quality of experience (06:50)

Amid slowing broadband subscriber growth, service providers of all types are exploring ways to drive up overall revenues alongside average revenues per user (ARPU) with new services and applications that ride on top of the core data connection.

Some operators are pursuing that with premium whole-home Wi-Fi offerings, low-latency gaming tiers and home security or bundling in streaming services that take advantage of the high data speeds that are being delivered into the home. While offering such enhancements could bring in new customers, they will also help operators keep churn in check and keep customers out of the hands of their competitors.

Support of such strategies and initiatives is also of growing importance at the Broadband Forum, an organization that works with standards that support the end-to-end broadband ecosystem.

Broadband operators have largely solved the core connection issue, so they are now pushing ahead with "services-led broadband" or "connectivity+" strategies, Broadband Forum CEO Craig Thomas explained to Light Reading at last week's NetworkX Americas event in Irving, Texas.

"We're getting to the stage now that the speed itself is no longer the inhibitor to the services," Thomas explained. "So, what are the services on top of that that are going to add value to that broadband experience?"

He said open source platforms such as Prpl and the Reference Design Kit (RDK) are playing a critical role in achieving that by extracting the software platform from the hardware and giving service providers a way to experiment with and rapidly deploy new services and applications. These open source platforms also provide operators with the foundation to create new types of service bundles that ride the broadband operator's primary broadband connection.

Here's a snapshot of what was discussed (click the closed captioning button in the player for a lightly edited transcript):

  • Thomas talks about the priorities of the Broadband Forum, including how it's working with standards to support the end-to-end ecosystem and operators' ability to pursue 'services-led' strategies. (00:30)

  • How Broadband Forum is working with organizations such as the Prpl Foundation the RDK Management LLC to drive services-led broadband capabilities (2:30)

  • How open source platforms can also help operators use containers to experiment with new apps and services without requiring a full firmware change (04:20)

  • How the attributes of broadband are no longer just about raw speeds and pricing, but more about elements such as low-latencies and driving a better overall quality of experience (06:50)

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About the Authors

Jeff Baumgartner

Senior Editor, Light Reading

Jeff Baumgartner is a Senior Editor for Light Reading and is responsible for the day-to-day news coverage and analysis of the cable and video sectors. Follow him on X and LinkedIn.

Baumgartner also served as Site Editor for Light Reading Cable from 2007-2013. In between his two stints at Light Reading, he led tech coverage for Multichannel News and was a regular contributor to Broadcasting + Cable. Baumgartner was named to the 2018 class of the Cable TV Pioneers.

Pierre Landriau

Video Producer and BBQ Expert, Light Reading

Pierre Landriau, a.k.a. "Le French Producer Extraordinaire," knows his way around B2B video marketing after working at three major UK publishing companies: Haymarket, UBM and now Informa. Pierre edits and produces all of Light Reading's podcasts, maintains that he's listed on IMBD, and claims he once wormed his way into MTV for a day or two.

Pierre is based in London and can be reached at [email protected].

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