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OCP Campus Branch Wireless (CBW)

OCP Campus Branch Wireless (CBW) is an Open Compute Project (OCP) initiative that defines open, disaggregated hardware and software specifications for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) infrastructure in campus and branch environments.

  • Open hardware specifications for Wi-Fi access points and related WLAN components (network infrastructure)
  • Disaggregated architecture separating hardware and software for campus and branch wireless deployments (network architecture)
  • Support for multi-vendor interoperability through standardized interfaces and form factors (interoperability)
  • Alignment with OCP principles for open, efficient, and scalable data center and edge infrastructure (open hardware ecosystem)
  • Focus on enterprise and service provider campus and branch wireless use cases (enterprise networking)

More About OCP Campus Branch Wireless (CBW)

OCP Campus Branch Wireless (CBW) is a project under the Open Compute Project that focuses on open, disaggregated WLAN infrastructure for campus and branch deployments. It targets scenarios where enterprises, service providers, and institutions operate distributed sites, such as office campuses, educational facilities, and retail or branch networks, and seek standardized, open hardware for Wi-Fi access and associated wireless services.

The CBW project defines open hardware specifications (open hardware) for wireless access points and related components used in campus and branch environments. These specifications cover physical form factors, interfaces, and design guidelines to enable interoperable WLAN devices from multiple vendors. By documenting hardware requirements in a vendor-neutral format, the project supports consistent integration with controllers, management systems, and back-end network infrastructure.

At the architectural level, CBW promotes a disaggregated model (network architecture) in which hardware and software are decoupled. This allows organizations to source Access Point (AP) hardware that follows OCP specifications while selecting appropriate wireless operating systems, controllers, or cloud-based management platforms according to their own network policies and operational models. The approach aligns with broader OCP objectives for open, efficient infrastructure in data centers and edge locations.

CBW is designed for enterprise and institutional usage (enterprise networking), where requirements often include standardized deployment across many sites, lifecycle manageability, and alignment with existing wired campus and branch architectures. By framing WLAN components within OCP’s open hardware guidelines, the project seeks to integrate wireless infrastructure into the same procurement, deployment, and operational practices used for other OCP-compliant network equipment.

Within the OCP ecosystem (open hardware ecosystem), CBW complements other networking initiatives by extending open hardware concepts from data center switching and routing to the access layer serving end-user devices. The project’s specifications can be applied in multi-vendor environments, where interoperability and consistent physical and electrical characteristics are important for large-scale rollouts.

For directory and taxonomy purposes, OCP Campus Branch Wireless (CBW) is categorized under open hardware specifications for enterprise and service provider WLAN infrastructure, with emphasis on campus and branch Wi-Fi access, disaggregated network architecture, and multi-vendor interoperability.