Want To Deploy Subscriber Services Faster? Start With the Network

Fast onboarding of subscribers is crucial for broadband service providers (BSPs), and the network plays a vital role in achieving it. That's why your broadband access network solution needs an operating system (OS) designed and purpose-built from the start for broadband service delivery.

That means the OS supports:

• Hardware independence, where all systems run on the same OS regardless of the underlying technology (GPON, XGS-PON, and beyond).
• Service abstraction, where workflows remain consistent, and you have a common operational model.
• Modular architecture that allows you to upgrade modules independently.
• Software-defined interfaces that enable fast integration with existing OSS/BSS environments.

Building a network foundation with essential OS characteristics enables your network to be responsive to subscriber needs throughout the service lifecycle, helping you boost your productivity, be more operationally efficient, lower your TCO, and enhance your subscriber experience.

Automated network service provisioning (ANSP) is a method that helps increase productivity and speed up the process of onboarding new subscribers. It simplifies broadband service delivery by using logical associations across the entire network. Think of ANSP as associating your data service across the whole network with logical, global virtual local area networks (VLANs). By abstracting the network, ANSP enables your field technicians and customer service representatives (CSRs) to focus on the subscriber and their services rather than worrying about the network systems, ports, splitter, and logistics. This results in faster first-time installations and quicker time to revenue.

Using Global VLAN and Global ONT

Consider an example scenario where you have two optical line terminal (OLT) networks in two neighborhoods, A and B. To simplify the network and ensure best practices, you separate the broadcast domains for a broadband data service. You assign VLAN 10 for network A and VLAN 20 for network B— keeping the network manageable and reducing the possibility of performance-related issues, such as broadcast storms.

To simplify service provisioning, you want all your data services to be associated with a logical data domain called "Data_PublicVLAN." Therefore, you assign local VLANs at each OLT (i.e., VLAN 10 and VLAN 20) and associate them with Data_PublicVLAN, a logical global VLAN corresponding to the data service available throughout your network. You can also extend this association for video, voice, and other services.

Next, let's add a subscriber and associated service to network A. By using a global ONT that is discoverable anywhere, CSRs don't need to know which passive optical network (PON) OLT and ONT are associated with the service, simplifying the provisioning process. Plus, the service can be pre-provisioned in advance and independently.

With a global ONT, there are two simple options for service turnup. You can have a subscriber DIY self-installation using zero-touch provisioning. Or a field technician can add the subscriber information and plug in the fiber, and the service will turn up within a minute. The field technician requires minimal information to turn up service, reducing deployment time and boosting productivity.

Global ONTs also simplify and accelerate service provisioning, don't require extensive network records, and eliminate truck rolls (and syncing with CSRs) with pre-provisioning.

Global ONT and Global VLAN for Rapid Network Restoration

In addition to its many uses, global ONT is helpful when you need to perform a network split, groom to optimize the network or restore a PON network after a failure. Field technicians can easily switch an entire network to a different PON port, utilizing the global association capability to discover ONTs and apply the service in minutes. And there’s no need to coordinate with customer support to re-provision the network—reducing downtime and enhancing the overall subscriber experience.

ANSP also supports subscriber moves, which happen from time to time. Subscribers can use the same ONT or residential gateway, connect it to their new address, and turn up service in minutes.

Moreover, this approach provides additional benefits by supporting zero-touch provisioning and saving technicians time (an average of 2.6 hours per PON split!). As a result, field technicians can handle more calls in a single day.

To learn more about the solution that makes ANSP possible, download our Intelligent Access EDGE solution brief.