We are entering a new era of broadband. Competitive, customer and regulatory pressures are forcing operators to significantly boost ultra-broadband availability. As a result, networks and network operations are becoming more complex. To meet the imperatives of bandwidth and coverage, operators are deploying multiple access technologies, which increases network and operational complexity. Virtualization is key to managing this and renewing an operator’s agility and ability to scale. However, the adoption of SDN/NFV requires a fundamental shift in access network management systems. NMS must be cloud-based and open to simplify network management and increase service agility.