cess aggregation) in the network service path. The PMA manages its associated DPU and connected NTE modems using the NETCONF protocol and YANG data models. The DPU manages each NTE through an EOC protocol over each G.fast link, per ITU-T G.9701 (G.fast physical layer specification) and G.997.2 (G.fast physical layer man- agement for G.fast transceivers). The DPU YANG model proxies the NTE inventory, status, faults, performance monitoring, and software download functions over the EOC to the NTE. 11.4.3 WIRELINE ACCESS HARDWARE Wireline access technologies such as GPON, XGS-PON, NGPON2, and G.fast require specialized hardware functions to handle the protocols and functions necessary for shared multikilometer opti- cal fiber access, and for high-speed transmission across existing short-distance copper twisted pair Building the Network of the Future and coax media. The legacy architecture bundled hardware and software to perform these func- tions, and the implementations were unique to each particular supplier. One of the key concepts of the new access architecture is disaggregating software from hard- ware, SO that the same software can work across hardware from different suppliers and even different hardware types of access technology. This requires a new approach to access network hardware. This new approach creates open specifications for the hardware with well-defined open interfaces enabling software to configure and control the hardware. The current trend toward the use of high-volume merchant silicon (access network SOC integrated circuits) is well aligned and provides a foundational element for enabling the specification of open hardware platforms. 11.4.4 MERCHANT SILICON Merchant silicon refers to suppliers of SOC-integrated circuits that implement the complex hard- ware-based functions and protocols of the access technology needed for network access equipment. In legacy access architectures, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of access equipment create custom hardware with bundled software and managem