ent systems, even though they often incorporate merchant silicon as a key component of the access node. The rise of merchant silicon simplifies the transition to the new access architecture by making it easier to create consistent hardware functions and interfaces across hardware suppliers. AT&T has started working directly with silicon manufacturers to drive merchant silicon for network hardware, as many of the capabilities of the hardware are set by the capabilities of the silicon. The exis- tence of merchant silicon also simplifies the creation of common hardware specifications, as will be explained in the following sections. 11.4.5 WIRELINE ACCESS HARDWARE STANDARDS AND OPEN SPECIFICATIONS Access hardware relies on well-known and established standards processes that specify the inter- faces and behaviors between the access node in the network (such as the OLT) and the equipment at the customer's premises (such as the ONT). The new access architecture will continue to use these standards for technologies such as XGS-PON and G.fast, but it will also require additional standardization efforts that have not previously been used. These new standardization efforts will create detailed hardware box specifications, SO that multiple manufacturers can make hardware that will work with common software. These new standards are being introduced through the Telecom Group of the Open Compute Project (OCP), where OLT hardware designs have been defined utilizing merchant silicon. With these open specifications, operators can require hardware suppliers to build access nodes that con- form to these designs, and will have the flexibility to obtain interchangeable network element "white boxes" from multiple sources. The OCP initially focused on creating open hardware specifications for server hardware based on the x86 microprocessor architecture for use in data centers. In one sense, an x86 processor embedded in a data center server product is analogous to merchant silicon embedded in an access node product. OCP's Telecom Group e