Marta Seda (Calix), Access Work Area Co-Director at Broadband Forum
From GPON to 100G PON, the pursuit of upgrades in the fiber network is helping the industry deliver better service options and enhanced broadband experiences to customers. Yet these upgrades are only achievable if operators have the flexibility to choose from an open market of different PON technologies that avoids vendor lock-in and supports ease of deployment.
The next generation of PON technologies is being introduced and deployed thanks to an ecosystem of open standards and testing, and encouraged by quickly evolving customer behaviors and demands.
A need for not just speed
Simultaneous video streams and online video gaming are amongst the trends expected to drive 32% of global consumer broadband subscriptions to speeds of 1Gbps and above by 2027. XGS-PON is being increasingly integrated into the fiber network as gigabit connectivity is sought after by end-users for demanding applications.
While XGS-PON is widely replacing G-PON, the latter should not be dismissed just yet as the business case for upgrades does not exist in some markets and for some use cases. And for some operators, XGS-PON is being deployed in existing ‘brownfield’ deployments to co-exist with any existing GPON, enabling gradual network enhancements without disrupting existing services. This can be especially useful in high density urban areas and for addressing increasing demand for gigabit business services across the shared fiber infrastructure.
Don’t put all your gigs in one basket
In an evolving technological landscape, the co-existence of different PON systems within the same ODN allows operators to upgrade at a pace that makes the most business sense and to optimize fiber utilization. Specifications – such as standards from IEEE and ITU-T – that foster co-existence have had a massive positive impact on PON technology’s development. You can read more about the evolution of those standards in a blog from Chief Marketing Officer at the Broadband Forum, Bernd Hesse, here: https://www.broadband-forum.org/the-emerging-pon-technologies-accelerating-worldwide-gigabit-deployment. Standards can facilitate triple co-existence, for example, allowing GPON, XGS-PON, and HSP or 25GS-PON to share the same ODN. One of the benefits of this is the ability to roll out upgrades and transition to new technologies without replacing infrastructure and keeping existing services active. The flexibility to deploy the vendor technology that best suits an operator’s needs is also crucial for optimizing networks at its desired pace and delivering service upgrades as required.
Equipping the equipment with certification
Broadband Forum’s testing and certification programs aim to build on PON standards and help ensure interoperability in operators’ networks. Guaranteeing that the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) equipment is compatible with fiber termination devices or Optical Network Terminal (ONT) inside the end-user’s building or home helps operators avoid vendor-specific integrations that add avoidable costs and increased time to market for new products.
The TP-255 test plan and BBF.247 Certification Program, for example, allows vendors to ensure their ONT equipment is interoperable and identifiable as such for operators focused on the ever-growing demand for service differentiation.
Broadband Forum has also been running Plugfests with its members to help device vendors overcome compatibility worries, to ensure that all broadband service providers are ready for the next generation of fiber connectivity, regardless of whether they are deploying FTTH GPON, XGS-PON, 25GS-PON, or HSP technologies. Industry-standard adherence ensures interoperability between equipment from various vendors, streamlining network management and improving the user experience.
To 100G and beyond?
The collaborative and open broadband philosophy can be applied further, with the rise of open access and wholesale network models offering an opportunity for multiple service providers to share the same PON infrastructure, fostering greater cost-efficiency and broadening service availability.
And as we look even further towards 100G and coherent PON, it is clear that prioritizing interoperability, co-existence, and industry collaboration is paving the way for easier network upgrades.
Broadband Forum’s latest Plugfest, in conjunction with AT&T Labs and Lanpark, is taking place from 24-28 February. Stay tuned for updates from the Plugfest, and for future events, by subscribing to our newsletter: https://www.broadband-forum.org/sign-up-to-our-newsletter
Missed our latest State of PON vBASe Webinar and want to hear more about the market and technical trends for FTTH in 2025? Watch on demand here: https://www.broadband-forum.org/event/state-of-pon-vbase-webinar-2