AVM Talks Broadband Routers in a Time of Chip Shortages and COVID

5. At the end of last year AVM launched the new FRITZ!Box 5530 “Fiber” router, which seemed specifically tailored to work with FTTP providers.

One particularly interesting aspect of this device is that it integrates an Optical Network Terminal (fibre optic modem), which can even be changed via the use of a Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) port.

In the UK every FTTP provider will generally install a wall-hung ONT unit and then give consumers a separate broadband router to connected into that. What are the advantages of integrating the ONT into a router and do you see FTTP providers in the UK adopting the SFP approach, either now or in the future (at the time of writing we couldn’t find a UK version of the 5530 for sale)?

ANSWER:

FTTP is available from many networking operators. For some, the integration of the fiber modem/ONT is a cost-efficient option, or this can be upgraded by customers optionally with FTTP as a ‘wires only’ service as they would in the past for FTTC services.

Because the 5530 is BBF.247 XGS-PON and GPON Certified, the network operator can be assured it is compliant with their network. Alongside Wi-Fi 6, this router is fitted with a 2.5Gbit/s WAN/LAN port for internet access over both scenarios.

The SFP slot can accommodate different GPON and P2P Fiber connections and the router autosenses the network to assure the correct module is installed. Other advantages of ONT integration is direct analysis and data of the optical connection.

We have always found advantages in integration of layer one into the router. This reduces clutter, energy consumption and allows for a better diagnostic capability. It is more complicated to support a system that connects different components for access to the network. A FRITZ!Box allows full diagnostic and overview of the configuration of the access line.

In many cases the location of the optical network termination is not optimal for the wireless access point, which is why we integrate Mesh networking into our other networking products, allowing the transportation of all features of a FRITZ!Box through different connection types to any place in the house you need, using LAN bridging and Powerline technologies.

6. One of the biggest changes in the UK during 2021 has been the end of the Brexit transition period and the signing of a new trade deal with the EU. Not to mention the added crisis caused by COVID-19. Have these two issues had any impact upon your business in the UK and are there areas where the new EU-UK trade agreement could be improved to help?

ANSWER:

We supply ISPs and retail markets world-wide, and after the initial shock on 1st January 2021, imports from the EU and Brexit have not posed any major challenges. Our distribution partner Euroroute has expanded its logistics with new routes and hubs to the UK to guarantee our customers a steady supply and quick lead times. There have been other major distractions to the supply chain due to COVID-19 and the global chip crisis which are keeping things tense. We see this relaxing later in Q4 with increasing additional supply of the new Wi-Fi 6 products.

7. AVM is typically a firm that hails from Germany, but what sort of changes (if any) – technical, regulation or otherwise – do you have to make to a broadband router before bringing it to market in the UK?

ANSWER:

Besides the UK power supply plugs, filter, and cables, no additional localisations are needed to the standard EU product, and most of the previous EU regulations are still in place or exchanged by identical regulations. AVM has a dedicated department to handle international certifications. We are compliant with the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) and will add these markings in addition to CE markings for the UK market in the future.

8. Given the move to FTTP networks and VoIP in many countries, do you think all consumer broadband routers should now be shipped with a built-in Analogue Terminal Adapter (ATA) – to support old handsets – and associated FXO / FXS ports as standard?

ANSWER:

Absolutely, all routers should have connectivity for handsets or phones. The old PSTN ‘landline’ network will soon be retired for all services (also FTTC), as has happened throughout the EU already. The ubiquitous residential landline has been merely converted to an All-IP telephony service. The telephone service provisioning is completely transparent to the end-user. This is a much more flexible and feature-rich experience for the home phone. End-to-end HD audio on calls is something I don’t want to miss again.

All of our FRITZ!Boxes also have DECT onboard for registering up to 6 cordless handsets and DECT ULE (ultra low energy) for Smart Home applications. Customers with existing cordless or analogue telephones can simply connect these directly to the FRITZ!Box ‘FON’ port. The existing analogue telephone is familiar and requires no learning curve for the residential customer to use.

9. What, in your view, are the top five new features that you expect router manufactures to be adding over the next few years and why?

ANSWER:

Choosing the right development path and product build is one of the greatest challenges manufacturers face.

So, here they are, the top new features to watch for:

1. For the UK provider market, it’s clear that the aforementioned Wi-Fi 6 will be standard on all new routers, and we’ll see router upgrades to 4×4 triband routers and repeaters with 2.5 Gbs WAN/LAN ports available for extended range and higher throughput demands. A requirement in 2022 for 10Gbs ports in residential home routers remains to be seen, but clearly this is the direction over the next few years.

2. The development path to support the new Wif6E standard for the pristine 6GHz band is also prepared for when the market is ready and more Wifi6E devices appear in the market.

3. Demand for residential voice services, especially for FTTP customers, makes integrated Voice and DECT mandatory features. Not new for us, but new for a lot of other manufactures.

4. Network operators offering wires-only FTTP services will create markets for routers with an SFP slot to integrate optical network termination module (GPON, XGS-PON, P2P) in one box.

5. The home router will play a central role for the Smart Home, a convenient existing resource available to smart products without the need for adding hubs or bridges using Wi-Fi, DECT ULE and cloud-based interfaces. I expect manufactures will focus on more interoperability with existing home networking technologies for new opportunities.

6. Another major technological development is in 5G, with latency and bandwidth to compete with today’s fixed access speeds, this is a commercially viable alternative for primary home access for certain markets.

7. A big new feature will be USP (User Services Platform also referred to as TR-369) for enhanced Wi-Fi and CPE WAN management for the service provider. USP/TR369 (CPE WAN management for ISPs) is optimized for realtime diagnostics to improve the customer care experience, especially with regards to Wi-Fi Mesh and CPE management. USP is an open protocol industry standard that receives continuous development. With USP (User Services Platform) the service provider can obtain more information about the home enviroment of his customers to give optimal customer care for positioning Wi-Fi routers and repeaters.

8. Anything I left out here will be added in the comments below.

10. Finally, AVM recently released their big FRITZ!OS 7.25 update for existing routers. But, looking further ahead, what sort of changes are you planning for future releases, such as v8?

ANSWER:

Thes next firmware update will include new features such as:

– Easy to enable prioritization of a computer for internet access
– FRITZ!Fon start screen options: weather forecast, nightlight, events
– FRITZ! Smart Home now supports DECT compatible roller shutters
– Smart Home: Lightsequence “Wakeup/Sleep” for FRITZ!DECT 500 and compatible DECT LEDs
– Smart Home: TOP – Perfect indoor climate with FRITZ!DECT 440 – humidity information at a glance
– For FRITZ!Box’s integrated fax machine: Log of received and sent faxes
– Telefony: TOP – improving UI for using the telephone book, call diversion and call blocks

Looking further, we are also working how make the switch from an existing installation to a new FRITZ!Box as simple as possible. As mentioned above, USP will be a hot topic among operators in the next 12-24 months, so this is an important priority in our roadmap.

We’d just like to take a moment to thank Matthew for engaging with ISPreview on these questions and for being so generally helpful whenever we’ve needed some input on the world of routers.