Fiber Connect 2024 | PoCs to Demo Innovations in Fiber Broadband

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has announced the Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations planned for Fiber Connect 2024, July 28-31, in Nashville, Tenn. Seventeen companies will participate in eight PoC demonstrations that showcase how Connected Home innovations and services improve subscriber experience by leveraging the capacity, scale, latency, and/or security that only fiber broadband provides.

“These concepts will demonstrate the power of the fiber broadband ecosystem on the subscriber experience and fiber’s ability to support disruption, change market dynamics, and push the boundaries of possibilities,” said Evann Freeman, Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) Board Member and Conference Committee Chair, and Vice President of Government & Community Relations at EPB of Chattanooga. “Our industry has some of the brightest minds at work to solve the connectivity challenges ahead as we look to connect every household in America, push past current technology limitations, and open up new frontiers with AI, Machine Learning, Quantum Networking, and many other exciting innovations.”

Fiber Connect 2024 PoCs will be collaborative projects involving at least one member company of FBA or Broadband Forum (BBF), and many will leverage one of two BBF Connected Home specifications: BBF.247 GPON ONU, which focuses on multi-vendor interoperability between OLTs (Optical Line Terminals) and ONUs (Optical Network Units), or BBF.369 User Services Platform (USP), which represents a fully realized managed services ecosystem for adding value to the connected home. PoCs can also demonstrate one or more services and applications outside of these specifications, if they do not apply, that support the conference theme of “Accelerating our Fiber Future” and could include innovative IoT, Artificial Intelligence, security, and other Smart Home or connectivity options.

“We are delighted to take part in the Fiber Connect PoC presentations and demonstrate how our standards enable seamless smart home services and subscriber management beyond the fiber connection point,” said Ken Pyle, Director of Marketing at Broadband Forum. “These cutting-edge demonstrations will bring together key players from across the industry and highlight the importance of interoperability and standardization in creating a customer-centric ecosystem, while improving operational efficiency, time-to-market for new applications, and opening up business opportunities for service providers.”

The 2024 Proof of Concept demonstrations include:

Empowering Connectivity: Collaborative Approach to Overcoming Broadband Challenges in Unserved and Underserved Communities – presented by Ciena, Heights Telecom, Cambridge Industries Group Inc, and Axiros
This PoC implements a secure, flexible, and cost-effective broadband network to provide rural connectivity while enabling network operators to deliver service differentiation and monetize their fiber investment, generate more significant revenue, and form the basis for long-term financial success.
B2C Value-Added Services Automation to Maximize CSP Fiber Investments – presented by Incognito, Harmonic, KAON Broadband
This PoC leverages network automation to reduce OPEX and uses standards and open APIs to reduce IT costs and expedite time to market for new CSP products.
Fiber Optic Sensing in Telecom Applications – presented by Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), Luna Innovations, and Underline Infrastructure
This PoC enables network operators to monitor physical cable plant to detect threats, prevent damage, pinpoint and categorize events, and more.
Corteca Cloud as a USP-Based, Multi-Vendor Wi-Fi Management + Device Management Solution – presented by Nokia and Singel
This PoC presents a multi-vendor management platform that supports device management, application management, and Wi-Fi management of a 3rd party Wi-Fi access point in a mesh network.
Empowering Interoperability to Accelerate Fiber to the Home and Deliver Service Excellence – presented by Calix and Zyxel Communications
This PoC simplifies integration between systems, devices, and managed services for the connected home, dramatically improving operational efficiency and speed to market.
Wholesale Open Access for FTTH Networks – presented by Nokia and Condor Technologies
This PoC presents an enhanced wholesale API and UI for FTTH networks that give VNO tenants autonomy and flexibility and gives operators the ability to increase take rate and ROI of their fiber investment, attract more VNOs, and increase wholesale revenues by 23%.
Empowering Connectivity: Enhancing Short-Term Rentals with Flexible Internet Packages – presented by CompaxDigital
This PoC demonstrates a flexible billing and customer management approach that makes it easy to add additional services so short-term rental providers can increase revenue while enhancing customer satisfaction.
Free Space Optical Communication – presented by Taara
This PoC showcases the role of wireless optical communication (WOC) technology in helping bridge middle mile gaps in broadband infrastructure and highlights three use cases: fiber backup, high-capacity backhaul at temporary or seasonal event venues, and disaster relief.

PoCs will be presented in the Fiber Connect 2024 Expo Hall, July 29-30, and evaluated by leading industry analysts. Awards will be presented in the following categories: Most Innovative PoC, Best Community Impact, and Game Changer.