The Broadband Forum recently launched its newest project, Open Broadband – WWC Reference Implementation for 5G-RG (OB-5WWC), designed for vendors and operators to bring fixed 5G products to market in a shorter timeframe and enjoy reduced development times and cycles. It is an open source project.

“OB-5WWC aims to create a reference implementation of the Broadband Forum specified Wireless Wireline Convergence solution for 5G capable Residential Gateways (5G-RGs) and builds on the Broadband Forum and 3GPP specifications already available,” Broadband Forum said in a press release about the fixed 5G project.

OB-5WWC is designed to provide a production grade 5G solution stack capable of integration with OpenWRT/RDK-B frameworks, while aiming to provide a reference for testing Access Gateway Function (AGF) and RG test tool development. Integrating the 5G Quality of Service (QoS) model to the home, 5G-RG can natively support 5G signaling protocols and capabilities, as well as help connect services and opportunities.

Think of it as a 5G core to serve both mobile and fixed networks.

“The formation of the OB-5WWC project will help to fulfil the need for 5G and fixed-line convergence that is now viewed as a fundamental need and will ensure the full benefits of the 5G ecosystem can be realized,” said David Woolley, Broadband Forum OB-5WWC project leader, in a prepared statement. “We have already received strong support from the service provider community and are calling for all interested parties across the industry, including customer premises equipment (CPE) manufacturers, end-to-end integrators, and hardware and software vendors, to join the project and share ideas.”

Ultimately this Open Source project hopes to bring the full benefits of the 5G ecosystem to fixed-line services and offer a full end-to-end solution to operators.