NOS selects OpenVault to elevate broadband consumer experience

Looking to drive what it believes will be superior performance throughout its broadband network and to increase network capacity, NOS, the largest communications and entertainment group in Portugal, has revealed that it is to use OpenVault’s Profile Management Application (OV PMA) technology to drive improved experiences.

NOS is the biggest communications and entertainment group in Portugal. It offers latest generation fixed and mobile phone, television, internet, voice and data solutions for all market segments. It currently boasts 5.8 million mobile phone customers, 1.6 million television customers and more than 5.4 million households covered with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH).

In the business sector, the company markets packages for small and medium-sized companies,​ including mobile, internet, and cloud-based and scalable voice solutions powered by Webex​. It also has hybrid working solutions, cloud contact centre offers and cloud infrastructure partnerships with Amazon, Microsoft and Google. In mobile performance terms, NOS claims its 5G mobile networks in Lisbon and Porto are quicker than the equivalent fastest networks in London, Paris or Barcelona.

For its part, OV PMA is designed to optimise modulation profiles used by DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems on OFDM(A) channels. It then routinely monitors and adjusts these profiles based on changing RF impairments, to ensure that subscribers receive the optimal service quality. OpenVault said this would improve overall network capacity by up to 40% and bolster the resilience of DOCSIS 3.1 modems, particularly in the presence of impairments.

PMA was also developed to leverage the programmable PHY layer to increase the usable capacity in DOCSIS 3.1 networks. Its goal is to optimise the amount of data that can be transferred on an OFDM(A) channel in a given amount of time based on real-world impaired plant conditions.

NOS has planned the launch of OpenVault’s OV PMA product for 2024 and the deployment is said to follow several months of extensive technical implementation and field trials by the two companies.

“At NOS, we choose partners who share our commitment to network quality,” said Paulo Ribeiro, director of engineering at NOS. “Our partnership with OpenVault is helping us deliver the best possible experience to our broadband customers by adapting the configuration to the field conditions, dramatically improving higher connection speeds for many of our subscribers and significantly increasing network capacity.”

OpenVault chief technology officer (CTO) Tony Costa said: “NOS has been a leader since day one in recognising how PMA can improve network capacity and resiliency. Their expertise, collaborative approach and focus on achieving optimal subscriber experiences all helped us streamline deployment that ultimately will result in greater subscriber satisfaction.”