Nokia and ZCorum have collaborated to develop a DOCSIS Provisioning Adapter (DPA) application designed to streamline the transition of cable operators to fiber networks. The DPA application will allow cable operators to continue using their existing DOCSIS-based provisioning systems while provisioning Optical Network Terminals (ONT) and subscriber services on ITU-based Passive Optical Networks (PON).
This innovation aligns with the industry’s move toward fiber, which offers enhanced performance, scalability, and reliability. The transition to fiber typically necessitates new generation fiber management solutions. However, for Multiple System Operators (MSOs) preferring a gradual shift, the software-based DPA simplifies this evolution while spreading out adoption costs and accelerating time-to-market.
Geert Heyninck, VP and GM of Broadband Networks at Nokia, stated, “As the industry leader in PON, Nokia is ideally positioned to assist cable operators in moving to next-generation networks, enabling them to deliver the best possible service to their subscribers. The DPA app we are developing with the OSS experts at ZCorum will offer our customers a simple means to ease their transition to FTTH and attain a more competitive position in their markets.”
The new Nokia DPA functions as a translation layer. It bridges the DOCSIS-based management system with Nokia’s Altiplano Access Controller—an open and programmable platform offering comprehensive network management functions and software-defined networking (SDN) controls for Nokia’s Lightspan PON networks.
Julie Compann, President and CEO at ZCorum, explained, “ZCorum has been serving DOCSIS and fiber operators since the time those technologies first launched, so developing DPA is a natural project for our company. Cable operators recognize the benefits of migrating to fiber but also have a significant investment in their DOCSIS infrastructure. DPA will allow them to focus on fiber deployment where needed, without the need to immediately deploy a second provisioning system.”
Nokia plans to initiate lab trials of the DPA application by the end of 2024. Once broadly introduced, it will be available through the Altiplano Marketplace, which provides operators with a catalogue of automation tools and network analytics to optimize broadband network performance. Additionally, Nokia’s Altiplano Access Controller platform allows operators and third-party developers—like ZCorum—to access open APIs and a Software Development Kit (SDK) to develop value-added applications.
Jeff Heynen, Vice President at Dell’Oro Group, commented, “While cable operators are upgrading their networks in various ways, virtually all are deploying PON-based FTTH networks in greenfield. Many are also overbuilding their whole network with PON or strategically adding it into their legacy HFC networks. MSOs will benefit from and welcome any tool that makes it easier, faster, and more cost-effective to deploy PON. Certainly, Nokia’s DPA will do just that.”
