RDK unveils new Wi-Fi management software
March 29, 2023
RDK Management has announced the availability of a unified Wi-Fi software management component for residential gateways, access points, and mesh extenders to provide advanced Wi-Fi management and telemetry features to the RDK community. The new open-source code software component was contributed via a collaboration of between Comcast and the OpenSync community.
RDK for Broadband (RDK-B) consists of open-source software components that standardise core functions used in broadband CPE across network access technologies including DOCSIS, GPON, DSL, and Fixed Wireless. It provides a consistent technical approach for routing, device management, diagnostics, DNS settings, IoT interfaces (i.e. Bluetooth, Thread, and Zigbee), and more. By standardising these functions, service providers can develop and deploy a consistent set of applications and services across various chipset and hardware suppliers. One of the key components of RDK-B is Wi-Fi management software.
The new RDK-B Wi-Fi management software standardises core functionality used in Wi-Fi gateways, access points, and Mesh extenders/pods for operators deploying OpenSync or Wi-Fi EasyMesh. It provides common methods to manage features such as band steering, device telemetry, and interoperability with cloud-based Wi-Fi management systems via the common RDK message bus (RBus). Comcast and the OpenSync community worked jointly on the contributed component, which will become the default for RDK-B, and be maintained by RDK Management moving forward.
“Wi-Fi connectivity, monitoring, and optimisation are foundationally important to operators throughout the RDK community,” said Jason Briggs, President and General Manager of RDK. “The new Wi-Fi management software is designed to address these critical needs. The kind of technical leadership and collaboration between Comcast, OpenSync, and Plume is the hallmark of what makes RDK such a central and innovative open-source community for broadband operators around the globe.”
“The contribution of the new Wi-Fi management software will provide a powerful set of tools to the RDK community and support cloud-based Wi-Fi connectivity services for the broadband devices used by Comcast, Sky, and our syndication partners,” added Labeeb Ismail, Senior Vice President of Global Devices Software for Comcast and Sky. “The collective efforts of Comcast, Plume, OpenSync, RDK, and others provide key underlying software technology designed to help deliver an exceptional home Wi-Fi experience to our customers.”
“Our collaboration with Comcast and RDK on this new Wi-Fi management software demonstrates our unwavering commitment to harmonising OpenSync with globally relevant open standards that have achieved significant market adoption,” said Liem Vo, Chief OpenSync Officer at Plume. “By standardizing certain core functionality and providing access to over 50 OpenSync-certified devices, CSPs are free to focus more of their efforts on delivering differentiated services at scale and deploying the kind of advanced cloud platforms needed to bolster the customer experience.”
RDK’s new Wi-Fi management software component is interoperable with various cloud Wi-Fi management platforms from leading third-party providers. These kinds of SaaS platforms generally deliver a rich set of real-time and historical KPIs, using sophisticated cloud data analysis to enable CSP support, operations, and engineering teams to measure subscribers’ connectivity and performance. By leveraging cloud-based connectivity predictions and capabilities to optimise their networks at scale, consumers can benefit from more reliable, whole-home connectivity that is personalised to their unique needs.