Nokia has unveiled what it asserts is the first symmetrical 25-Gbps PON capabilities. The approach, which will be offered via ISAM FX OLT line cards equipped with the company’s Quillion chipset, will enable 25G PON to coexist with GPON and XGS-PON traffic on the same network.
As indicted in a recent article written for Lightwave (see “5G mobile transport and the essential role of PON”), Nokia believes there is growing interest in PON bandwidths beyond 10 Gbps for converged networks that support a mix of residential, business, and 5G mobile fronthaul/backhaul requirements. The belief is shared by other members of the new 25G PON MSA (see “Operators, vendors combine to create 25GS-PON MSA”), and Nokia sources said that the new capabilities conform to the MSA’s specifications. To enable the ability to work alongside GPON and XGS-PON, the initial implementation will use 1358 nm as the downstream window. The MSA supports three windows for upstream, depending upon the importance of staying out of the way of both GPON and XGS-PON traffic. The source said that this first implementation will use 1260-1280 nm for upstream, as coexistence with GPON “is more urgent,” in the words of the source. The ability to use other windows for the upstream will become available next year.
The full offering includes 25G PON capabilities for the ISAM FX ONT, a compatible ONU, and pluggable optics. In addition to symmetrical 25G, the implementation will support 25G downstream and 10G upstream as well.
“CSPs [communications services providers] are adding more capacity into their fiber access networks, supporting enterprise services and 5G wireless transport. 25G PON is the next step, supporting capacity upgrades, while ensuring coexistence with earlier generations of PON,” commented Julie Kunstler, a senior principal analyst at Omdia, via a Nokia press release. “The 25G PON ecosystem takes advantage of existing optical technologies and proven know-how.”
“25G PON is important technology to support 5G cross-haul and we aim to enhance our fiber broadband network beyond 10 Gbps to meet increasing demand and grasp new business opportunities in mobile transport and premium enterprise services. We’re excited to partner with Nokia and ready to test their 25G PON solution and look forward to getting it into the field,” added Chi-Min Lo, managing director, network planning at Chunghwa Telecom. The network operator is a member of the 25G PON MSA.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.