FROM THE INDUSTRY
Image provided by CableLabs/Broadband Forum
urban areas. For other operators, the need to meet SME and enterprise demands will overlay 25GS and 50G PON, especially when that is coupled with assured service level agreements (SLAs), QoS/QoE and security assurance. Until the mass deployments of VR/AR Metaverse applications and 8K TV, the race to offer speeds beyond 2-10G for home broadband is a problem for the next decade and consumers may begin to ask if there is a need to move beyond today’s fastest multi-gigabit speeds. In the meantime, there is little doubt that XGS-PON for residential services will continue to grow and become the de-facto deployment for greenfield deployments with an increasing business case to co- exist or replace GPON in brownfield areas. We expect to see investment in the fibre access network and, by extension, PON technology for the convergence of services onto a single fibre network that becomes truly multi-service to support residential broadband, enterprise connectivity, mobile backhaul, and fixed wireless access. Interoperability will become increasingly important to help operators run networks with multiple services and deliver for customer needs.
fibre broadband infrastructure, the priority has now shifted towards broadening the applications of PON to increase its use and value. To resolve these real-world interoperability concerns and to inform further development of the certification programme, it is crucial for the industry to be able to come together and test interoperability in tandem with but outside of a formal certification programme. Recognising the need for hands-on collaboration, the Broadband Forum PON Plugfest series is in full swing, acting as an essential platform for the industry to tackle real-world interoperability issues head- on. The last event, hosted by CableLabs in Louisville, Colorado, brought together companies from the fibre sector to test the readiness of their XGS-PON and 25GS-PON technologies and ensure the interoperability of fibre products connecting homes to broadband service providers’ core networks. The latest Plugfest, in conjunction with AT&T Labs and Lanpark, is testing 25GS- PON TC-PMD and OMCI Layer and, for the first time, HS-PON (50G PON) TC- PMD Layer.
one vendor doesn’t meet all needs. If any ONU or optical network terminal (ONT) is compatible with any OLT then, simply put, operators have more options for upgrading their network. Ensuring reliable and consistent interoperability is not easy, though. The intentional flexibility in PON standards designed to foster innovation also leave a lot of room for interpretation, leading to interoperability issues and gaps. Industry cooperation is needed to converge on common interpretations and use cases. One effort designed to foster multi-vendor interoperability between PON OLTs and ONUs and build on existing standards is the Broadband Forum’s BBF.247 Certification Program, With detailed guidelines and comprehensive test plans, it aims to bring choice and flexibility to service providers and broadband consumers. BBF’s OMCI and vOMCI specifications have also helped operators de-couple the ONU and OLT, and the OMCI software stack, providing greater operator flexibility. Although the work isn’t over to completely alleviate interoperability challenges as new technologies are introduced, both 25GS- PON and HS-PON (or 50G PON) are being tested by the BBF.247 Certification Program. Revised priorities reflecting progress While PON standardisation efforts had focused largely on defining highly cost- effective systems for the mass market and thus promoting high-volume deployment of
The PON for today and tomorrow
https://tmt.knect365.com/bbwf/
We can expect 25GS-PON and 50G PON to be driven by separate business cases dependent on operators’ respective geographic broadband markets over the next decade. The success of FTTR may drive operators to move to speeds beyond XGS-PON sooner especially in dense
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Volume 47 No.1 MARCH 2025
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