Nokia and Vodafone have collaborated to set a new milestone in gigabit fibre broadband by successfully demonstrating a Passive Optical Network (PON) trial that reached unprecedented per-wavelength speeds.
PON uses a point-to-multipoint architecture where a single optical fibre serves multiple endpoints via passive splitters, distributing bandwidth across several access points without active electronics in the distribution network.
Nokia’s research arm, Bell Labs, contributed cutting-edge innovations to the trial, including advanced digital signal processing (DSP) methods that enable higher throughput over existing optical components.
Peter Vetter, Head of Access and Devices Research at Bell Labs, said:
“Bell Labs is focused on delivering the innovative technologies needed for the flexible, adaptable networks of the future. Optical innovations pioneered by Nokia Bell Labs, like shaping, are widely adopted by the industry.
For the first time, we demonstrate a unique flexible-rate capability that allows capacity to be optimised according to link losses and the characteristics of low-cost optical components in the optical network termination.
We believe fibre will play a crucial role in 5G and 6G, which is why we are excited about the 100G PON demonstration and its potential to shape the future of fibre broadband.”
By combining cost-effective, widely available 25G optical components with advanced DSP, the trial delivered speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second on a single wavelength.
Nokia explains that DSP is the key to surpassing 25G performance. Once adopted, the transition to 50G and 100G is straightforward, and these higher-capacity solutions could become commercially viable in the latter half of the decade.
The trial also represents the world’s first use of flexible-rate transmission in a PON deployment.
Flexible-rate transmission groups optical network terminals (ONTs) that share similar physical link characteristics—such as loss or dispersion—so the system can allocate rates more efficiently. This approach reduces latency and can cut power consumption by approximately half, improving both performance and energy efficiency.
Stefaan Vanhastel, CTO of Nokia’s Fixed Networks Division, commented:
“We continue to extend the potential of fibre access so capacity stays ahead of the ever-growing demands of a connected world.
After launching the first commercial 25G PON solution in 2020, we are pleased to present state-of-the-art 100G technology together with Vodafone.
These breakthroughs allow existing fibre-to-the-home networks to evolve into higher-capacity fibre infrastructures capable of connecting homes, businesses, remote cable nodes, and 5G small cells.”
The demonstration took place at Vodafone’s Eschborn laboratory in Germany and achieved single-wavelength speeds up to 100 Gbps.
“100G PON offers roughly 40 times the capacity of today’s GPON networks and about 10 times the capacity of XGS-PON, helping operators stay ahead of future demand,” explained Gavin Young, Vodafone’s Head of Fixed Access Centre of Excellence.
(Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash)
This demonstration highlights a clear path to dramatically higher broadband capacities using largely existing optical components combined with advanced signal processing. By enabling flexible-rate operation and leveraging DSP, operators can upgrade network performance and energy efficiency without wholesale replacement of fibre plant, accelerating the rollout of high-capacity services for residential, enterprise, and mobile backhaul use cases.