Two new 5G standards finalised by Broadband Forum

Broadband Forum has wrapped up the development of two new standards for 5G as part of its promise to rapidly support the 3GPP release cycles.

The standards are based on contributions from a number of global operators and vendors, and in close collaboration with the 3GPP. Titled 5G Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) Architecture (TR-470) and Access Gateway Function (AGF) Functional Requirements (TR-456), the standards build on Broadband Forum’s previous 5G work to provide a practical roadmap to deliver 5G.

TR-470 describes the 5G FMC architecture to provide a high-level guide for network architects and planners. TR-456, meanwhile, describes the functional requirements of the AGF. The AGF resides between fixed access networks and the 5G core network to support 5G and wireline residential gateways, creating a truly converged deployment.

The specifications are currently undergoing the approvals process and will be published as the forum’s other 5G initiatives continue. These include ongoing work to standardise and enhance the transport network to ensure it can meet the demands of 5G, and normative work is also beginning on Broadband Forum’s joint FMC project with 3GPP.

Robin Mersh, CEO at Broadband Forum said: ‘Broadband Forum’s latest specifications are key pieces of the very big jigsaw that must be created and completed to deliver on 5G – and we are working with operators to define those pieces quickly, efficiently, and, most importantly, together as an open collaborative effort, preventing fragmentation and misalignments between stakeholders. The breadth of our ongoing work and how much of that has 5G at its core is significant and the holistic approach we can take is unique to the broadband industry and critical to the ongoing development of 5G.’