RDK Management unveils new Wi-Fi software management

RDK Management (RDK) has unveiled a new Wi-Fi software management component for residential gateways, access points, and mesh extenders to provide advanced Wi-Fi management and telemetry features to the company’s network.

The new open-source code software component was contributed via a collaboration of between Comcast and the OpenSync community.

RDK for Broadband (RDK-B) consists of open-source software components that standardise core functions used in broadband CPE across network access technologies including DOCSIS, GPON, DSL, and Fixed Wireless. It provides a consistent technical approach for routing, device management, diagnostics, DNS settings, IoT interfaces and more. By standardising these functions, service providers can develop and deploy a consistent set of applications and services across various chipset and hardware suppliers. One of the key components of RDK-B is Wi-Fi management software.

The new RDK-B Wi-Fi management software standardises core functionality used in Wi-Fi gateways, access points, and Mesh extenders/pods for operators deploying OpenSync or Wi-Fi EasyMesh™. It provides common methods to manage features such as band steering, device telemetry, and interoperability with cloud-based Wi-Fi management systems via the common RDK message bus (RBus).

Comcast and the OpenSync community worked jointly on the contributed component, which will become the default for RDK-B, and will be maintained by RDK Management moving forward.

“Wi-Fi connectivity, monitoring, and optimisation are important to operators throughout the RDK community,” said Jason Briggs, president and general manager of RDK. “The new Wi-Fi management software is designed to address these critical needs. The kind of technical leadership and collaboration between Comcast, OpenSync, and Plume is the hallmark of what makes RDK such a central and innovative open-source community for broadband operators around the globe.”

“The contribution of the new Wi-Fi management software will provide a powerful set of tools to the RDK community and support cloud-based Wi-Fi connectivity services for the broadband devices used by Comcast, Sky, and our syndication partners,” said Labeeb Ismail, svp of Global Devices Software for Comcast and Sky. “The collective efforts of Comcast, Plume, OpenSync, RDK, and others provide key underlying software technology designed to help deliver an exceptional home Wi-Fi experience to our customers.”