Frontier and Nokia trial 100G, 50G, 25G, and 10G PON simultaneously

Frontier’s network supports 10G and 25G fibre speeds, and plugging in Nokia’s Lightspan MF Fiber PON platform enables it to deliver the higher speeds enabled by 100G PON, describes the release. Something called quad band coexistence technology then allows for multiple broadband speeds on a signal strand of fibre across our entire network, we’re told.

The firms say that the trial demonstrates how existing fiber that was built decades ago can be adapted for use with more modern technologies, meaning it can be upgraded in the future as data demands increase.

“This trial is a game-changer for operators seeking new ways to meet evolving business needs without major network upgrades,” said Sandy Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia. “Our fibre technology, combined with Frontier’s unique coexistence solution, opens the door to a full range of PON technologies available on the same platform and fibre. This includes 10/25G PON today and 50/100G PON moving forward. This means operators can select the right mix of technologies based on their needs and business case.”

Veronica Bloodworth, EVP, Chief Network Officer at Frontier added: “We are proud to partner with Nokia to lead the industry in successfully trailing ultra-fast speeds enabled by 100G PON technology. As demand for faster broadband continues to grow, we have demonstrated our ability to achieve these speeds using our existing fibre nnetwork. This trial reinforces our commitment to operational excellence and features the advanced technology created by our Fiber Innovation Labs team, who are always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our network and our customers."

There are a lot of firsts being claimed in this area and Nokia is managing to be involved with it’s fair share of them. Earlier this month Nokia and Google Fiber tested 50Gb/s broadband speeds over the latter’s existing fibre network, which they said was the first live network demonstration of 50G PON technology in the US.

Today Nokia also announced it has come up with a new 5G Fixed Wireless Access outdoor receiver and indoor gateway with Wi-Fi 7 for its portfolio of FWA broadband access products, which is designed to ‘meet the unique demands of the North American region.’

The Nokia FastMile 5G receiver features high-gain antennas (up to 10 dBi) and can be self-installed by the consumer on the outside of a window, wall, balcony, or pole. It has 4 carrier aggregation and up to 300MHz of bandwidth, and the 5G receiver maximizes throughput in locations where signals may be weak, we’re told.

The FastMile indoor 5G Gateway 12 meanwhile is supposed to improve capacity and coverage by up to 35% using high gain antennas (up to 8 dBi) and 8 receiver antennas. It comes with up to 200MHz of spectrum support, and uses tri-band Wi-Fi 7 to extend 5G speeds throughout the home, says the release. Both will be available in Q3 2024.