WBBA sets out roadmap for next-generation broadband

In a series of reports, the World Broadband Association (WBBA) has urged countries to set out investment, legislation and deployment plans to enable the migration towards all-fibre broadband networks required for the next generation of the internet.

The WBBA’s stated objective is to overcome industry challenges and support the drive towards the provision of broadband networks and services. The association was founded to address seven key broadband industry challenges, namely: addressing inequality of broadband access, developing impactful broadband regulation and policy, ensuring sustainable service provider RoI, enabling vertical industry innovation, delivering end-to-end experience, building a future-proof network, and building a future-proof network.

In its Impact on broadband networks of deploying metaverse applications at scale roadmap and North America: broadband investment outlook guidebook, both created in co-operation with the Metaverse Standards Forum, the WBBA detailed “the broadband generational roadmap stakeholders required to sufficiently support metaverse and extended reality (XR) applications”.

Recommendations include a migration towards advanced passive optical network (PON) variants for optimal broadband access, Wi-Fi 7 (and Wi-Fi 8 in the future) technology in the local-area network (LAN), and 400/800GE in the IP transport network.

Impact on broadband networks of deploying metaverse applications at scale noted how higher developed broadband countries are expected to be well-equipped to handle this evolution.

However, even by 2030, fibre broadband penetration in some regions will remain lower than 40% of total subscribers and the deployment of advanced technology such as 25/50G PON still be relatively modest. To this end, the report details the steps and technologies required to overcome these challenges.

“As concepts such as the metaverse and XR grow in prominence, it’s vital developing countries also get the chance to enjoy the socioeconomic benefits these technologies bring,” said WBBA director general Martin Creaner. “Our roadmap considers the requirements needed for ubiquitous XR experiences and provides guidance to stakeholders to ensure total migration to the networks that can sustain them.”

In North America: broadband investment outlook, the WBBA said that it is offering a new guidebook that aims to formulate the best broadband investment strategies for North America. Designed to help stakeholders examine investment in broadband infrastructure, the document highlights what the WBBA believes will be the key metrics related to the region, and the ways in which broadband infrastructure investment can be made more viable.

As well as an overview of the key trends within broadband investment in North America, the guidebook offers analyses of the key supply, demand and profit metrics stakeholders must consider.

This includes a comparison of broadband in North America against other market leaders across the globe, in addition to the challenges of investment and how the viability of developments in the region can be improved.

Use cases regarding businesses models used for broadband infrastructure, and key takeaways for stakeholders in other regions, have also been included within the guidebook.