Integration of open source code allows for faster roll out of applications and remote management of internet devices in the home for service providers

There has been a revolutionary shift in how quickly broadband service providers (BSPs) using prpl Foundation and RDK platforms can deploy new services, from months and years to a matter of weeks, as both organizations have integrations with the Broadband Forum’s OBUSPA open source software.

Two of the most widely used carrier-grade open source platforms for home broadband management, prpl Foundation’s prplWare and RDK’s RDK-B software, have integrated the Open Broadband USP Agent (OBUSPA) project’s releases with their middleware stacks, which allow BSPs to offer new applications faster on end-user devices such as routers and residential gateways. This will enable BSPs to differentiate their services and provide a more tailored experience for the end user with access to a wider range of applications.

The Broadband Forum’s User Services Platform (USP) protocol has helped significantly reduce the time needed for BSPs to deploy new services to as little as 2-4 weeks rather than 9-18 months. The availability of the open source USP implementation further helps to enable an environment where individual components of the device can be upgraded without requiring a full firmware update.

“One of the biggest hurdles for service providers in both differentiating their offerings and maintaining end user satisfaction has been the slow, complex process of delivering new applications and services to customer devices,” said John Blackford, Connected User Work Area Co-Director and Chairman of the Board at Broadband Forum. “This adoption highlights the momentum of open source in CPE and the adoption of Broadband Forum’s USP as the foundation to building an improved user experience.”

OBUSPA is an open source project that is focused on creating a reference implementation of the USP specification. OBUSPA is a key component available for open source middleware solutions (e.g., prplWare and RDK-B) as it enables the remote management of the device and opens up the possibility to decentralize the device's data model into USP Services, which are USP-enabled applications, containerized or otherwise.

prplWare 4.1 was released with OBUSPA 10.0.6 in October 2025 and prplWare 5.0 is set to incorporate the latest update to the open source code in April 2026. RDK-B operators can use OBUSPA 9.0.9 and efforts are underway to upstep that to the OBUSPA 10.0.10 release.

The broadband middleware stack - from open source communities such as the prpl Foundation and RDK - acts as a bridge between an operating system and applications, to enable communication, integration, and management of services across different systems.

“Open source software is often the secret ingredient behind successful real-world deployments,” said Gavin Young, Head of the Fixed Access Centre of Excellence at Vodafone. “The latest integrations reaffirm the importance of collaboration between the Broadband Forum, and open source communities like the prpl Foundation and RDK in delivering new applications and services to end users in the home faster than ever before.”

"The collaboration between the prpl Foundation and the Broadband Forum demonstrates our shared commitment to developing innovative and robust solutions for internet gateways,” said Gilles Coullon, Head of the Device Department at Orange and Board Member at prpl Foundation. “The creation of a Carrier Grade-compliant OBUSPA reflects our dedication to providing operators with reliable, high-performance tools tailored to market demands."

“RDK is committed to supporting broadband operators with the underlying technological options that best suit their needs,” said Glee Abraham, Head of Technology at RDK. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the Broadband Forum on OBUSPA and other initiatives in the future.”

About the Broadband Forum

The Broadband Forum is an industry-driven global standards development organization helping operators, application providers, and vendors deliver better, services-led broadband.

As the industry-recognized center of competence, the Broadband Forum provides an accessible, efficient, and effective community where all broadband stakeholders can collaborate on, develop, and promote open standards and open software. This provides the basis for deployable solutions for the global broadband industry.

The Broadband Forum publishes interoperable standards and open software, has launched certification programs, and promotes industry education. These best practices and models can be adopted to help realize an effective broadband ecosystem that drives a thriving, services-led broadband industry based on global collaboration, open standards, and open source, maximizing value for all stakeholders.

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