Running a fiber network means working with a lot of shorthand. Your billing team says BSS, your network team says OLT, and your field crews talk about truck rolls. This glossary explains the terms we hear most from broadband operators, in plain English, with links to where we go deeper.

Jump to: Operations and business systems | Ordering, provisioning and billing | Fiber and network technology | Field and network operations | AI and automation | FAQ

Operations and business systems

OSS (Operations Support Systems)

The systems that run the network side of a broadband business: service provisioning, network inventory, fault and performance monitoring, and field work. If it touches the physical or logical network, it usually lives in the OSS. We break down how it fits with the business side in what OSS and BSS mean in modern broadband operations.

BSS (Business Support Systems)

The customer and revenue side of the business: product catalog, ordering, billing, payments, and customer care. BSS answers who the customer is, what they bought, and what they owe.

OSS/BSS stack

The combined set of operations and business systems an operator runs. In many fiber businesses these grew one tool at a time, which is why data gets re-keyed between systems. If you are replacing yours, these OSS/BSS vendor evaluation questions are a good place to start.

Workflow automation

Using software to move work between steps and systems without someone re-entering data or chasing a ticket. In fiber operations this usually means connecting an order to provisioning, scheduling, and billing so they run as one flow, which we cover in how to unify OSS/BSS workflows for fiber operations.

API integration

A connection between two systems through their application programming interfaces, so they can share data directly. It is how a billing platform, network equipment, and field tools stay in sync without manual exports.

Network inventory

The record of what is in the network and where: fiber routes, splitters, ports, and customer premises equipment. Accurate inventory is what makes fast provisioning and quick troubleshooting possible.

Ordering, provisioning and billing

Order management

The process and software that capture a customer order and track it through to an active service. For fiber, that usually covers serviceability checks, installation scheduling, and activation.

Quote-to-cash

The full path from a price quote to collected revenue: quote, order, provisioning, billing, and payment. Gaps anywhere in the chain show up as delayed activations or missed revenue.

Provisioning

Configuring the network and systems so a customer's service works, such as assigning a port, applying a speed profile, and activating equipment. See how AEX handles provisioning on the AEX software platform.

Zero-touch provisioning

Activating a service or device automatically, without a technician or back-office agent configuring it by hand. The customer plugs in, and the systems recognize and set up the equipment.

Subscriber management

Keeping track of each customer's account, services, equipment, and status in one place, so support, billing, and network teams see the same record.

Billing and revenue management

Rating usage or plans, producing invoices, taking payments, and reporting on revenue. In a broadband BSS it is the part customers feel most when it goes wrong.

Wholesale billing

Billing between providers rather than to end customers, common in open access networks where a network owner charges service providers for using its infrastructure.

Fiber and network technology

FTTH (fiber to the home)

A network design where fiber runs all the way to the customer's home instead of switching to copper or coax for the last stretch.

PON (passive optical network)

The most common fiber access design. One fiber from the central office is split passively to serve many homes, with no powered equipment in between. We cover how PON shapes OSS/BSS needs in OSS/BSS for PON and fixed wireless.

GPON

Gigabit-capable PON, the widely deployed ITU standard for fiber access networks.

XGS-PON

A newer PON standard that supports symmetrical speeds of roughly 10 Gbps, used by operators upgrading capacity on existing fiber.

OLT (optical line terminal)

The equipment at the provider's central office or cabinet that sends and receives traffic for a PON and manages the connected ONTs.

ONT (optical network terminal)

The device at the customer's home or business that converts the fiber signal into Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

Fixed wireless

Broadband delivered by radio from a tower or rooftop to an antenna at the customer's location. Many operators run fixed wireless alongside fiber to reach areas where trenching is too expensive.

Open access network

A network where the infrastructure owner lets multiple service providers sell services over the same physical fiber. It adds steps to ordering, provisioning, and billing, because more than one company touches each customer. See how AEX supports open access networks, or read our comparison of open access vs closed access fiber networks.

Managed Wi-Fi

In-home Wi-Fi that the operator supplies, monitors, and supports as part of the service, instead of leaving it to the customer. See how AEX approaches it with eero managed Wi-Fi.

Field and network operations

FSM (field service management)

Software and processes for scheduling, dispatching, and tracking technicians and the work they do on site. Learn more about AEX field service, or compare options in our guide to FSM platforms for utility, telecom and fiber operators.

Truck roll

Sending a technician and vehicle to a site to install, repair, or check service. Truck rolls are one of the biggest operating costs in broadband, which is why we track truck roll cost benchmarks for fiber.

Field service and OSS/BSS integration

Connecting field work with the systems that create and close it, so a technician sees the order, equipment, and network details, and the job updates billing and inventory when it's done. More on this in field service and OSS/BSS integration for fiber operators.

NOC (network operations center)

The team and tools that monitor the network around the clock, spot and diagnose problems, and coordinate fixes. AEX offers this through its network services.

Network monitoring

Continuously checking network equipment and links for outages, errors, and performance drops, so problems are caught before customers call.

AI and automation

AI agent

Software that can take a goal, work through steps across systems, and act or recommend an action, rather than only answering a question. In network operations, that can mean gathering diagnostics and proposing a fix for a person to approve. See how this works with Agent AEX for network troubleshooting.

Agentic AI

The broader approach of building AI that plans and carries out multi-step tasks, usually with people approving key decisions. Here's how we're applying it across operations: AI on AEX.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between OSS and BSS?

OSS runs the network side of a broadband business, such as provisioning, inventory, monitoring, and field work. BSS runs the customer and revenue side, such as ordering, billing, and customer care. Most operators need both to work together, so an order flows straight through to an active, billed service.

What does OSS/BSS stand for?

OSS stands for Operations Support Systems and BSS stands for Business Support Systems. Together they describe the software a telecom or broadband operator uses to run its network and its business.

What is the difference between an OLT and an ONT?

The OLT sits at the provider's central office or cabinet and manages the fiber network. The ONT sits at the customer's location and converts the fiber signal into a connection their devices can use.

What is a truck roll?

A truck roll is sending a technician and vehicle to a customer or network site. Operators work to reduce unnecessary truck rolls because each one adds labor, fuel, and time.

What is an open access fiber network?

An open access network lets several service providers sell internet service over the same fiber infrastructure, which the network owner operates and bills them for.