A new report published by global research & analyst firm Ovum confirms the widespread market adoption of TR-069 CPE WAN Management Protocol, in numbers triple what originally was publically known. The report, based on surveys of operators, auto-configuration server (ACS) vendors and CPE vendors, plus Ovum’s own forecasts and a wide range of other data, shows that – by the end of 2011 – TR-069 enabled devices globally totalled more than 147 million and are growing fast.

Commissioned by the Broadband Forum to give an independent assessment of the standing of TR-069 in the market of connected home devices, the Ovum Report states, “In the medium term, we expect the development of integrated experiences which bridge multiple screens, applications, and content to increase in relevance. This demands greater control over the underlying “infrastructure” of the extended home than has previously been necessary, especially on the device-side, on cloud software platforms, and in integrated network access. TR-069 has an important role to play here, allowing operators to monitor, manage and control the increasingly complex collection of connected devices in the home. This in turn will enable operators to ensure quality of experience and will also provide them with the tools to improve customer service, two important factors for a successful multi-screen proposition.”

With such a huge influx of new devices coming online, it is critical that these devices adhere to the TR-069 protocol so they can be easily recognized, provisioned and maintained over their lifecycle. To ensure that the TR-069 protocol is followed consistently, enabling interoperability, the Broadband Forum is launching protocol conformance testing that will lead to a global certification program. This will be the only program in the broadband industry that will certify TR-069 functionality of CPE.

According to the Ovum Report, Broadband Gateway devices make up the largest proportion of TR-069 enabled devices in today’s market – they account for around 70% of devices managed by TR-069. The remainder includes IPTV set top boxes (15%), VoIP phones (2.5%) and femtocell access points (5%).

“TR-069 is recognized throughout the broadband industry as a major enabler of the connected home, and we at Broadband Forum are proud of its widespread acceptance and its continued progress, confirmed and reinforced in this important piece of work by Ovum,” said Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum. “As the number and range of new devices continues to grow, particularly in home networking and in enterprise communications, in the retail environment and M2M amongst others, interoperability and consistent protocol adherence will be key factors. Device conformance is a critical first step towards ensuring interoperability.”

At the current time, the Broadband Forum has developed the conformance test plan and has begun beta testing with a variety of devices. The beta testing is being managed by UNH-IOL, the officially selected laboratory for this Broadband Forum TR-069 testing program.

Independent Labs UNH-IOL to conduct TR-069 testing
The Broadband Forum chose UNH-IOL as the official test house for TR-069 testing because UNH-IOL has been actively driving the test suite development in the Broadband Forum and has a long history of conducting test events for the Broadband Forum. With this intimate knowledge of the TR-069 protocol and test plan, UNH-IOL will be a valuable partner in this conformance testing.

Erica Johnson, Director at UNH-IOL, commented, “We have been working with the Broadband Forum since 2006 so we are excited to be named the official certification test house for TR-069. Our goal is to provide the facilities, test services, test tools and procedures that allow for a higher level of confidence and experience in the connected home.”