Nokia, Frontier Test 100G PON

July 25, 2024 – Frontier and Nokia successfully tested 100 gigabit Passive Optical Networks on an existing fiber network, the companies announced Thursday.

The trial demonstrated that a mix of PON technologies – 100G, 50G, 25G and 10G – can exist on a single strand of fiber.

A PON service can support multiple clients from a single router by splitting a fiber-optic strand from an optical line terminal. It differs from an active optical network which dedicates each end user their own fiber optical line by an electrically-charged switcher that manages the signal distribution from the fiber line to service the end destinations. Both technologies are solutions for fiber-to-the-home network connections, but PONs are often preferred by providers because of the lower cost of deployment.

The 10-gigabit symmetrical PON, or XGS-PON, and the symmetrical 25G PON are evolutions of Gigabit PON, which only provides 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream.

Veronica Bloodworth, EVP and Chief Network Officer at Frontier, highlighted that the trial “demonstrated our ability to achieve these speeds using our existing fiber network.”

The trial was a significant development “for operators seeking new ways to meet evolving business needs without major network upgrades,” said Sandy Motley, president of fixed networks at Nokia.

 “Operators can select the right mix of technologies based on their needs and business case.” 

The trial was enabled by Nokia’s Lightspan MF Fiber PON platform. The network’s quad band coexistence technology supports multiple broadband speeds on a single strand of fiber.

Frontier said in May that it isn’t worried about fixed wireless competition in the broadband market. The company has put an emphasis on fiber after coming out of bankruptcy in 2021, with a goal to pass 10 million locations by the end of 2025. Frontier reported 6.8 million total passings in the first quarter of 2024, and said that it is on track to pass another 1 million by the end of the year.

In July, Nokia and Google Fiber successfully tested 50 Gbps broadband speeds over its existing network. This demonstrated the first successful live network demonstration of 50G PON technology in the United States.