Icotera has introduced its latest vendor-independent GPON ONT - the i5800 - with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi, easy management and a smart home platform for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks.
"We really wanted to develop a great GPON ONT product that offer service providers a high-quality and vendor independent ONT option, which has truly been missing in the market. This product has been developed with both the service providers and end-users in mind, which is demonstrated, among other things, by the easy management and superior Wi-Fi solution,” said Peter Lund, CEO at Icotera. He underlines four key features of the new i5800 GPON ONT:
With Wi-Fi becoming the preferred communication technology inside the home, the need for fast and stable wireless connections is becoming ever more important. The i5800 ONT delivers not only backwards compatibility with any 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi certified device, but also includes the very latest standard - 802.11ac. With the added 802.11ac capability, the i5800 can provide up to six times the bandwidth of similar products on the market.
“Stable Wi-Fi at end-user premises is one of the biggest concerns for today’s network operators and service providers,” said Kim Esben Jørgensen, CTO at Icotera. “With this product we are bringing a fantastic Wi-Fi solution to market that enables end-users to experience stability from wireless connections on pair with fixed connections. Together with LAN, VoIP, CATV and USB 3.0 interfaces, this product really outperforms comparable products on the market”.
Another key feature of the i5800 ONT is the fact that it is compliant with all leading GPON OLT vendors and thereby vendor independent, which is a distringuishing feature across Icotera’s product portfolio. The i5800 is thus not locked-in to any proprietary back-end network systems, which enables the product to gain widespread adoption.
For the network operator and service provider, this means that there are no limits whatsoever as to what systems and products they can include in their network architecture - before and after the fibre termination point.
Icotera also says the i5800 GPON ONT requires less work from operators and service providers. Firmware upgrades are completed quickly and in a fail-proof manner with dual-bank firmware upgrades. The i5800 is compatible with the majority of today’s management protocols, including OMCI, SNMP, CLI via SSHv2 or Telnet, TR-069 and an operator-friendly web interface, or Icotera’s own zero-touch auto provisioning mechanism. In addition, the i5800 GPON ONT incorporates a unique slide-on design that makes the device easier to install.
Another future-oriented feature is the smart home platform integrated into the ONT. This platform offers applications for end-users within alarm and surveillance, energy management and home automation, which is offered by the service provider or network operator, providing them with great opportunities for additional revenue streams and increased customer loyalty.
"Imagine a scenario where you in a simple way can unlock your door and turn off your alarm system while sitting at work, to let a plumber inside your house to fix your sink, while having your security cameras checking that he is doing his job. You can schedule electric devices to be turned on or off at certain times, or automatically turn down the heating system at night or while at work to save energy. The i5800 is ready for that with our unique cloud-based platform," says Peter Lund.