Calix, Inc. (NYSE:CALX) and Northpower Fibre of New Zealand says they have successfully conducted the first demonstration of multi-wavelength NG-PON2 use in a live network. The deployment combined Calix's E7-2 Modular Access System as the optical line terminal (OLT) and 812NG GigaHubs as the ONTs in a business premises and a residence in the town of Whangarei.
Northpower Fibre sees the technology putting it in position to meet the requirements of the New Zealand Government's Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) program, which aims to provide high-speed broadband services to residents in both cities and, in the second phase of the program, rural areas.
"New Zealand is undergoing a major broadband vitalization effort, and we see the emergence of NG-PON2 technology as a major enabler going forward," said Darren Mason, CEO of Northpower Fibre. "As attention in the second phase of UFB shifts from the cities to bring fiber broadband to more rural areas, Northpower Fibre will be leading the way having committed to connect 12 new towns to fiber within the next four years.
"With Calix as our partner and the AXOS E7-2 supporting the deployment, we have been amazed by how quickly we had jaw-dropping speeds and services up and running. We've shown the world that NG-PON2 is real, and we are excited for all of the new efficiencies and opportunities NG-PON2 will bring to our future business," Mason added.
In addition to provide 10-Gbps capacity per wavelength – 40 Gbps total, based on a four-wavelength approach – the NG-PON2 gear will enable operational and capital efficiencies, Calix points out. For example, four operators could each run a wavelength over a single fiber on Northpower's open access network, rather than having to supply a separate OLT port and fiber run for each in a more conventional GPON infrastructure. Or Northpower could run business, residential, and mobile backhaul services over the same fiber.
Use of the Calix AXOS operating system also will enable Northpower to provision each wavelength separately, without affecting service on the other channels.
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