Broadband Forum marks 20 years of TR-069 standard

Author: Simon Rowley

Broadband Forum is celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its ground-breaking TR-069 standard that has paved the way for the open standards organisation’s flagship TR-369/User Services Platform (USP).

TR-069 has laid the foundations of ubiquitous global internet access and empowered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) worldwide to manage billions of devices.

Broadband Forum has advised that it will make no more updates to the standard as TR-369/User Services Platform (USP), which builds on the TR-069 blueprint, has become the cornerstone for future developments in device management.

“As we reflect on the extraordinary growth and success of TR-069 since its inception in 2004, we must continue to build on its solid foundation as we look to the future and the baton passes to USP,” says Broadband Forum Connected Home Chair, Jason Walls. “On behalf of the Forum, I’d like to extend my gratitude to the community of developers, engineers, and contributors who have supported and advanced the TR-069 standard over the past two decades.”

TR-069 has helped ISPs remotely manage Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), such as modems and routers, and enabled the communication between CPE and Auto Configuration Servers (ACS). USP builds on that by introducing several improvements and caters for IoT devices and offers more scalability for device management. It ensures fast response times for network issues, automates tasks to reduce operational costs, and delivers increased customer satisfaction.

The Forum has ensured a smooth transition for ISPs from TR-069 to USP, with the necessary tools and resources to support integration without disrupting existing services.

“The Broadband Forum remains committed to delivering innovation, and USP is testament to that, playing a crucial role in addressing the demands of modern network environments and IoT proliferation,” notes Gavin Young, Vodafone and former Broadband Forum Technical Chair when TR-069 was first published. “As ISPs continue to prioritise the user experience and lead with services, USP is poised for its next phase of growth as we transition to more market-responsive and software-driven networks.”

TR-369 (USP), which is being increasingly adopted, is designed to overcome the inherent limitations of TR-069 and support more sophisticated and scalable network management capabilities. USP’s enhanced capabilities include support for multiple controllers, real-time data notifications, and improved efficiency to handle the management and control of connected devices of all kinds.

“Demand and purchase intentions continue to grow for advanced devices such as doorbells, door locks, and networked cameras, but this is creating a complex and challenging consumer home network,” explains Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates. “Half of the US households with internet experience issues with their network relating to quality of experience. With an increased number and dependency on devices in the home, consumers are beginning to show higher interest in network add on services that enable network optimisation and control of devices. We see the transition to USP to support more comprehensive network management requirements as a great step forward for the industry.”

The 2024 USP Summit took place in March for industry leaders and experts to discuss the advancements and future direction in device management. Key takeaways included the importance of using standardised solutions, better customer support and security as key considerations for ISPs, and how to transition seamlessly from TR-069 to USP.

Broadband Forum encourages engagement from all stakeholders in the telecommunications industry to leverage their collective expertise and insights available and ensure that they are at the forefront of the evolving landscape of device management.