Nokia and e& demonstrate first MEA 100 Gbps fibre broadband

Finnish kit vendor Nokia has demonstrated speeds of up to 100-Gbps on a single wavelength, in partnership with Etisalat by e&, four times the speeds of current commercially available optical technologies.

The proof-of-concept demonstration achieved the speeds on a single Passive Optical Network (PON) wavelength using digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. The vendor states its 100-Gbps PON prototype, developed by its Bell Labs arm, is the world’s first application of flexible rate transmission in a PON network. Flexible rate transmission groups fibre modems (ONUs) that demonstrate similar physical network characteristics making data transmission more efficient, enabling lower latencies, and halving power consumption.

“Fiber networks are fast evolving into becoming the backbone of the entire telecommunications sector as they play an important role in delivering any service to any end point, including residences, businesses, and cell sites. As their use case evolves, they must become quicker, smarter, and more cost-effective.” said Marwan Bin Shakar, Senior Vice President at etisalat by e&.

“We are thrilled to have showcased a working prototype for 100G PON with Nokia. Our partnership with Nokia is a demonstration of our commitment to maximise value for our customers and bring positive change to their lives in the age of digitalisation. Through our partnership, we are looking forward to continuing our efforts in bringing in the best-in-class solutions to our customers and enabling the adoption of innovative technological solutions within the UAE and the region.”

Previously demonstrated at Fiber Connect, advanced DSP seems to be what Nokia hails as the key to leapfrogging beyond current speeds, and the kit vendor claims 100-Gbps could be commercially available in the next decade.

“Fiber broadband continues to evolve and will play a critical role in enabling services for enterprise customers, premium consumers, and supporting 5G rollouts.” said Samer Makke, Head of the Customer Team at Nokia. “10G XGS-PON is now mainstream; the first 25G city is a reality; and 50G and 100G are being developed. This just shows the unlimited potential of fibre broadband.”

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