Nokia launches world’s first 25 Gbps symmetrical PON solution 

• 25G PON technology is the next step in PON (passive optical network) evolution and enables the converging of high-end services on a single fiber infrastructure 
• Nokia’s 25G PON solution will be available on the widely deployed Nokia fibre access platform, enabling a smooth introduction 
• Based on the Nokia Quillion chipset, the 25G PON solution provides the high capacity and low latency needed for 5G transport and premium enterprise services

Nokia has today announced the world’s first 25 Gbps symmetrical PON fiber broadband solution. This unique solution works on Nokia’s existing next-generation PON hardware, such as access nodes and line cards, to offer truly universal PON capabilities and enable communications service providers (CSPs) to supercharge their networks and enhance fiber network usage.

Nokia is the first vendor to commercialize an end-to-end solution for 25G PON. Designed for simplicity and cost-efficiency, the solution is based on Nokia’s Quillion chipset and existing next-generation PON access platform and line cards. The superior bandwidth and low-latency performance of the Nokia solution - enabled by the purpose built Quillion chipset family - means it can support 5G mobile transport as well as true 10G service for enterprises.

All Nokia customers with 10 Gbps Quillion boards will also have 25 Gbps capabilities in their network. Nokia 25G PON can co-exist with GPON and XGS-PON on the same infrastructure, allowing CSPs to add 25 Gbps in overlay without disrupting existing customer services. This will allow them to add 25G PON quickly and efficiently when and where needed to capitalize on new opportunities.

25G PON is a key technology that will enable fiber to become the single infrastructure that underpins the entire telecom industry and to deliver any service to any end point. It is also the best next step for PON: it leverages the high volumes and mature eco-system of data center optical technologies to achieve the best cost point, huge capacity, fastest time-to-market, and simplest evolution path compared to 50G PON, which will require a massive technology leap or long time to mature.

Operators and industry vendors widely recognize the need to advance PON networks beyond 10Gbs speeds, to meet the demand for 5G mobile transport and premium enterprise services. This recently led to the creation of the 25GS-PON MSA Group, a coalition of CSPs, system vendors, and chipset and optical component manufacturers, to accelerate the standardization and availability of 25G PON. 

Sandra Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia, said: “Nokia continues to lead the PON evolution. We have a long history of firsts: from the first volume GPON deployments to the first 10G PON and next-generation access platforms. It is vital that we keep pushing and enable our customers to capitalize on new opportunities while fully leveraging their existing investments. By delivering a step-change increase in fiber broadband networks with our 25G PON solution, CSPs will be able to bring better broadband to consumers and businesses, both through fixed fiber and 5G mobile broadband.” 

Chi-Min Lo, Managing Director, Network Planning at Chunghwa Telecom, said: “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.”  

Julie Kunstler, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia, said: “CSPs 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. The 25G PON ecosystem takes advantage of existing optical technologies and proven know-how.”

Nokia 25G PON key facts: 

• World’s first commercial 25G PON solution
• Cost-efficient: Uses a large, mature eco-system of optical technologies used in data centers
• High capacity: Huge 25 Gbps symmetrical bandwidth capacity.
• Near-term use cases: 25G PON enhances convergence on a PON, delivering premium business, residential and 5G transport services. 
• Easy to introduce: Available on the widely deployed Nokia FX access platform. Co-exists with GPON and XGS-PON, and requires no changes to the outside plant. 
• Nokia solution includes:
• OLT: ISAM FX, Quillion-based line cards
• ONU: supporting 25G/10G and 25G/25G bitrates
• Pluggable optics