Mark Gascoyne has built an open-source, eBPF/XDP-accelerated BNG that runs directly on OLT hardware, aiming to replace expensive, centralized ISP appliances. This approach distributes BNG functions to the edge, keeping subscriber traffic local and eliminating a single point of failure. The project addresses the bottleneck of traditional architectures where all traffic funnels through a costly, proprietary appliance.

Instead of relying on complex frameworks like VPP, this solution leverages the Linux kernel for packet processing. It achieves 10-40 Gbps per OLT, sufficient for edge sites, using a two-tier DHCP system. Fast path operations handle renewals in the kernel at ~10μs latency, while a slower userspace path manages new requests. IP allocation is determined at RADIUS authentication time for determinism.

The architecture uses a central control plane (Nexus) for coordination, but edge sites remain autonomous if disconnected. The implementation is a Go binary with embedded eBPF programs, targeting white-box OLTs like the Radisys RLT-1600G. Gascoyne acknowledges the code isn't production-ready, lacking IPv6 and full RADIUS accounting, but suggests open-sourcing could challenge the proprietary BNG market dominated by expensive hardware.