Viewpoint
In the run up to the Gigabit Access event in Cologne next month, we caught up with Sebastian Richter, Director Product Management Home Networking at devolo AG
When it comes to home networking, it’s mostly about which solutions can be used to enable seamless WiFi coverage across the entire home. The most reasonable approach is to integrate the latest generation of powerline communications based on G.hn and mesh as well as smart WiFi functions: a solution that combines the best of two technology worlds, reaches new performance dimensions and automatically ensures that the user experiences the best possible performance everywhere.
High security level as a challenge for operators
But from an operator’s point of view, there’s more – and the keywords here are security and service: As much as hardware manufacturers and network operators are committed to the security of their offerings, security gaps such as e.g. “KRACK” occur again and again. Then a quick reaction is required, updates have to be installed, firmware updates have to be rolled out on a large scale, often to hundreds of thousands of devices. An up-to-date firmware not only provides the best possible security, it also guarantees high performance of the CPEs used by the customer and actively helps to reduce service costs.
Advantages for the big players
Many large carriers and ISPs roll out the necessary patches or extensions themselves to CPEs, i.e. routers or possibly other devices in the home network, if these can be reached via the corresponding protocols. These can be PLC adapters, for example. The companies thus meet their service promise and also the demands of the media and opinion makers on their offers. For smaller carriers, however, it is a challenge to provide their customers’ end devices with regular updates or to make targeted adjustments to the firmware, because the investment and maintenance costs for an infrastructure that also enables active remote management are high.
A new approach is therefore highly interesting for them: to have updates or individual firmware adaptations taken over by a partner as a managed service – for example by the supplier of the CPEs that the operators sell to their customers. As one of the first providers of home networking solutions, devolo offers such an update service for its WiFi-capable PLC devices.
Scalable offer
Various variants are possible, the scope of which differs. For example, the network operator can agree that all PLC adapters that he has sold to his customers will be updated regularly with updates and improvements – at which intervals can be defined individually. This also makes it possible to react quickly to possible security gaps. The updates are rolled out by devolo, controlled via a backend framework.
This service is inexpensive compared to a comprehensive remote management solution. And it increases the service level even further, since carriers and ISPs can test firmware before release. In addition, the carrier or ISP of course has upgrade options: Should they decide at a later point in time to actively manage devices, this is also possible. This is because devolo devices can also be made remote manageable via firmware updates.
devolo AG will be participating as a Gold Sponsor at our Gigabit Access 2019 event in Cologne, Germany. To learn more about how devolo can help operators increase customer retention in deploying high performance home networking solutions, CLICK HERE
