Broadband Forum recently announced Altice Labs and Calix as the first two vendors to be listed as part of its newly launched BBF.398 Grade Wi-Fi Program.
Service providers and device manufacturers will be able to reduce the number of customer complaints they receive about poorly performing devices thanks to the latest performance test plan released by Broadband Forum. Issue 2 of TR-398 can seamlessly validate the devices used in broadband deployments and optimize their performance while addressing and identifying potential operational issues before the devices are introduced to the field. It also updates a number of performance test cases and adds additional test cases for mesh and Wi-Fi roaming between Access Points (APs), and for the recently published IEEE Standard 802.11ax-2021.
Receiver sensitivity, throughput, coverage, multi-user support, anti-interference, and stability are quantitatively evaluated in TR-398 and due to the defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the standard helps operators select optimal Wi-Fi solutions. These tests will also provide a clearer overview for service providers regarding the overall performance of devices used to build their products and services.
Broadband Forum’s BBF.398 Grade Wi-Fi Program has a primary goal of providing a standard set of test cases and framework to measure aspects of the performance between the AP (such as CPE with Wi-Fi), reference Stations (STAs) (such as a Personal Computer, and integrated testing equipment), and if applicable, a Wi-Fi repeater environment.
Alcino Lavrador, Altice Labs General Manager
Altice Labs has been successfully deploying FTTx networks throughout the market over the past few decades. In-House networking is one of the critical segments for us to take into consideration when looking deep into technical and operational Quality of Service and Quality of Experience aspects as perceived by our end-users. In our view, the BBF.398 initiative is fulfilling a significant industry and market requirement by positioning the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 performance together with the relevant technical metrics.
Shane Eleniak, Senior Vice President, Revenue EDGE products for Calix
A collaborative industry approach ensures that broadband service providers of all sizes can accelerate innovation and achieve excellence at scale. In doing so, customers know that our solutions offer superior performance and in turn, amazing experiences for their subscribers.
