Collaboration between standards bodies will make it easier for IoT devices and broadband networks to work together in smart homes and commercial buildings

Thread Group, the industry alliance of more than 240 companies supporting the Thread wireless mesh networking protocol for IoT, and the Broadband Forum, the leading open standards organization for broadband networks, announced a liaison agreement to improve interoperability between Thread mesh networks and broadband-managed environments. The agreement establishes the opportunity for consumer electronics vendors and service providers to work together to offer fully managed service.

Implications for Smart Homes and Buildings

Today, there are more than 19 billion connected IoT devices globally sitting behind broadband home gateways, which IoT Analytics expects will nearly double by 2030. Because broadband service providers increasingly manage the smart home and commercial IoT networks, the rapid expansion of wireless device networks highlights the critical need for seamless coordination between connected device services and broadband connectivity.

Thread provides the low-power, IP-based wireless mesh layer that connects IoT devices to each other and to the internet. The Broadband Forum provides the open standards that govern how broadband networks deliver, manage, and monitor those connections. This agreement represents a shared commitment by both organizations to develop together and align the evolving connectivity needs of smart devices, service providers, and choice for consumers. The result is simpler device setup, more reliable connections, and fewer compatibility issues between IoT products and broadband equipment.

Key Details

• Both organizations are IP-based and vendor-neutral. Collectively, they have nearly 400 member companies that will bring the benefits from this collaboration to connected homes and buildings worldwide.
• Thread Group and Broadband Forum will share technical specifications and best practices to improve interoperability between Thread mesh networks and broadband-managed User Services Platform (USP)/TR-369 environments.
• Contributors from both organizations will define joint interoperability requirements across consumer and enterprise IoT applications.
• Thread Group has certified over 1,000 products built on its low-power, IP-based wireless mesh protocol. Thread enables all devices, regardless of manufacturer, to operate on one unified network.
• Broadband Forum has published more than 250 globally adopted specifications across its 30-year history, with standards deployed across billions of broadband devices worldwide.
• Thread Group also has liaison agreements with the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the DALI Alliance, BACNet, and the KNX Association.

Executive Perspectives from Vividh Siddha, President, Thread Group

“Thread now connects more than 1,000 certified products inside homes and buildings. Broadband connects those spaces to the world. With Point-Topic estimating there are over 1.5 billion broadband subscriptions globally, aligning these two layers by design means fewer integration problems for operators and a better experience for the people who live and work in these spaces.”

Executive Perspectives from – John Blackford, Chairman of the Board, Broadband Forum

“Our members manage broadband standards deployed across billions of devices worldwide. Thread’s IP-native mesh networking fits naturally into that ecosystem. This liaison gives both communities a framework to solve real interoperability challenges and bring better-connected products to market faster.”

Summary

With this liaison agreement, Thread Group and Broadband Forum will align their open, IP-based standards and accelerate IoT adoption in broadband-connected homes and commercial buildings. Importantly, the agreement creates a direct channel for engineers and product teams to share specifications, define interoperability requirements, and develop joint best practices. The way forward depends on coordination between the wireless mesh layer and the broadband network layer, and this liaison formalizes that coordination between two of the industry’s most established standards organizations.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE