Broadband

CableLabs, Telecom Infra Project collaborate on OpenWifi 2.9 verification

June 22, 2023

The exercise marked the commissioning of what the partners called a “refreshed” OpenWiFi Community Lab at CableLabs' headquarters.

Stephen Hardy

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CableLabs and the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) have announced they have collaborated on verification of hardware and software based on the new version 2.9 of TIP’s OpenWiFI specifications. The exercise marked the commissioning of what the partners called a “refreshed” OpenWiFi Community Lab at CableLabs' headquarters.

OpenWiFi is an open source platform designed to lower the cost of developing and operating WiFi networks. The platform includes a cloud controller SDK and an enterprise-grade access point (AP) firmware designed and validated to work seamlessly together. OpenWiFi also supports the Wireless Broadband Alliance’s OpenRoaming capabilities. Version 2.9 of the platform is built on the uCentral communication layer and supports Multi Pre-Shared Key, which enables devices to log in based on MAC address. It also supports a captive portal to require user interaction before they are granted WiFi access.

The recent verification exercises included hardware from ActionTec, EdgeCore, HFCL, Indio Networks, and Lindsay Broadband, and software cloud controllers from HFCL, NetExperience, Wavespot, and Indio Networks.

“CableLabs has supported OpenWiFi since the launch and we believe in the power of open and disaggregated WiFi solutions,” commented Josh Redmore, principal architect, wireless access technologies for CableLabs. “This new version of OpenWiFi leverages open source software and hardware to greatly reduce the barrier to entry of deploying managed WiFi.”

“CableLabs is the guiding light, pointing to the innovation that will soon be adopted by the cable industry,” added Jack Raynor, co-chair of the OpenWiFi program group at TIP. “The OpenWiFi Community Lab is a great resource for CableLabs’ members who are building WiFi networks and want to demo, test, trial, and ultimately deploy OpenWiFi.”

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director & Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, DOCSIS technology, and more.