Comcast brings hybrid fiber tech to life in R-OLT, vBNG field trial

At Comcast, we’re working hard to build a better network, a brilliant network, every single day, with a simple purpose: connect our customers—now and in the future—to more of what they love.

In 2022, we made great progress in developing and deploying our virtual network and kicking off upgrades driving toward 10G. Much of this work was done on the technology and hardware that powers internet services over our coaxial connections. However, many of our customers already enjoy their Comcast services over a fiber connection, and we are committed to delivering the best connected experience to all customers, regardless of the wire that runs to them.

Traditionally, fiber and coaxial networks have relied on different platforms to service customers—each with its own separate technologies, customer solutions and speeds—but this is changing.

At the end of 2022, we executed our first virtual broadband network gateway (vBNG) customer trial. In this trial, we cut a fiber customer in our Denver market to our new vBNG/rOLT (remote optical line terminal) platform, powered by the same virtualized cable modem technology system (vCMTS) platform delivering our gig Internet services to those customers. This milestone represents the first time anywhere across the industry where the vision of the converged Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) has become a reality and is being delivered to live customers.

We’re yet again leading the industry in building a virtualized network that can power our customers—whether connected by coax or fiber—off of the same Emmy® award winning virtualized platform. All customers enjoy the same advantage of the investment we’ve made in our network—countless technological innovations and more than $20 billion over the last 5 years—completely seamlessly and at a reduced cost relative to available alternatives.

We’re building a single, brilliant network—one capable of unprecedented real time visibility, that leverages AI/ML, that can fix problems before customers are even aware—which is universal, running off the same cutting-edge architecture and innovation no matter what wire runs to a customer’s home. The brilliant network affords unprecedented optionality, which empowers us to deploy the right network for the right location at the right economics as we continue to expand our network to more homes. For many customers, this means leveraging the connections already in place in their homes, which are typically coax. For others, like those in untapped rural areas or newly built multifamily buildings, it might mean fiber. We can make the best decision for our customers’ needs when it comes to how we deliver connectivity in the most efficient, cost-effective and timely manner possible.

CT Bureau