prpl Foundation Updates prplMesh Stack

Internet Service Providers (ISP)s will be able to deploy fully open-source Wi-Fi mesh networks, including standardized application programming interface (API)s enabling new services and features more quickly and with better interoperability than previously possible.

The prpl Foundation and its service providers has announced a major acceleration effort to its prplMesh open-source Wi-Fi mesh software stack, which will be made carrier grade by the end of this year.

The Wi-Fi mesh architecture enables robust whole-home Wi-Fi coverage that is self-organizing and easily manageable. By actively harmonizing the community on standardized APIs, plus having all this software available as an open-source commodity, ISPs will benefit from quicker time to market and improved interoperability through common implementations. Third party vendors will be able to add valuable apps and services atop the Wi-Fi stack, while an ecosystem of these apps and services that are portable across different customer-premises equipment (CPE) platforms is enabled.

prplMesh features a low-level, Linux-focused southbound API providing both chipset-agnostic multi-vendor-interoperability plus innovations in all the latest state-of-art Wi-Fi chips. The stack also features a high-level northbound API providing carrier-grade manageability from both local and remote cloud apps and services, and platform-independent portability to common router platforms such as prplOS and RDK-B. prplMesh will enable a faster time-to-market for new apps and services by reducing dependence on vendor-proprietary components.

End-users will benefit from a home network which is highly manageable from personal mobile apps, and expert-level management from their service provider via remote cloud agents.

This 2022 acceleration of prplMesh, in collaboration with SoftAtHome, builds atop the release of prplMesh v2 and follows the successful 2021 acceleration of prplOS which manages other CPE services. prplMesh is already deployed in the field and this 2022 acceleration will bring added value to the ecosystem. This includes:

Compliance with the latest EasyMesh™ protocol features standardized by the Wi-Fi Alliance in Releases R3, R4 and R5
Compliance with Data Elements™ for remote troubleshooting standardized by the Wi-Fi Alliance
Compliance with common remote manageability protocols standardized by the Broadband Forum (e.g., TR-181 Device Data Model)
Support for third-party smart Wi-Fi providers (e.g., intelligent self-organizing fronthaul and backhaul links to adapt to the unique environment in each subscriber’s home)
Support for latest Wi-Fi 6E Tri-Band capabilities including many new channels in the 6GHz band
IPTV multicast capabilities

The prpl Foundation is a collaborative community dedicated to open-source and open APIs, focusing on carrier-grade software for Broadband Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) as specified by Operator members. prpl Foundation brings together Service Providers, OEMs, system integrators, chip vendors, and application developers to harmonize home network architecture, then commonize a reference implementation of standardized open-source infrastructure built atop Open-APIs.

prpl enables a service delivery ecosystem including innovative third-party applications that can be quickly and easily deployed across different CPE platforms.