FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Broadband Forum today announced that ADTRAN, Broadcom, Cisco, and Nokia have joined the expanding list of companies and equipment to have successfully completed its Gfast certification program, including its new 212 MHz certification. These additions widen the options available for carriers to confidently deploy Gfast technology globally.
This series of certifications was recently completed at Broadband Forum’s official Gfast test house, the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL). In addition to a number of 106a profile certifications for Cisco, Broadcom has joined ADTRAN, Intel, NetComm, and Nokia on the growing list of companies that have successfully completed certification with the new 212a profile, which demonstrates interoperability between 212 MHz Gfast products. This signals market readiness for multi-vendor installations in this highly anticipated segment of the market.
Keeping pace with the accelerating rate of innovation in the industry, Broadband Forum will hold its next Gfast Plugfest, also hosted by UNH-IOL, on November 18-22, with a focus on testing the latest enhancements and additions to Gfast technologies.
“Operators are continuing to invest in Gfast technology as it allows them to diversify their tools for delivering gigabit speeds and excellent performance, without having to invest in costly network overhauls,” said Teresa Mastrangelo, Principal Analyst at Broadbandtrends. “The new 212 MHz Gfast equipment and certifications bring further benefits as consumers demand faster and more reliable broadband. Interoperability remains key to unlocking the mass deployments that will make the technology successful and the Broadband Forum’s early certification program plays a significant role in enabling this.”
he 212 MHz Gfast certification augments Broadband Forum’s Gfast certification program, which currently requires bit rates of up to 1.45 Gbps and requires connectivity up to 400 meters. Broadband Forum expects to test performance at higher rates as it develops further specifications.
“212 MHz Gfast technology promises to hit the ‘sweet spot’ of performance and density necessary to accelerate the deployment of gigabit-capable services over existing infrastructure in the underserved MDU market,” said Geoff Burke, Chief Marketing Officer at Broadband Forum. “These latest additions add to a growing wave of certifications that reinforce that Gfast is moving into mass deployment and already supported by a rich variety of interoperable industry leaders.”
Lincoln Lavoie, Senior Engineer at UNH-IOL, added: “The benefits of Gfast technology are increasingly being recognized by operators seeking to achieve the speed and reliability of high-speed broadband through hybrid network architectures, balancing services offerings and capital investment. Gfast technology acts as a necessary complement to fiber and remains a crucial technology for operators, expanding subscriber coverage in areas where full-fiber or Fiber-to-the-Home cannot be deployed expediently, physically, or cost-effectively.”