Nokia’s 25Gbps PON will power the densification of 5G

By Dan Oliver
published

To make the most of wireless 5G, operators require fiber optic connections, and with the launch of 25G PON, Nokia has enabled fiber networks to be used for mobile 5G transport.

Nokia 25G PON for 5G transport.
(Image credit: Nokia.)

To get the most out of 5G wireless technology, it needs to be supported by equivalent fixed networks for backhaul and fronthaul (x-haul) transport, and Nokia’s 25G PON, announced today, enables fiber networks to be used for mobile transport, and also supports the connection of more radio units on the same fiber.

25G PON provides the bandwidth to backhaul the huge amount of 5G small cells that are required, but also the ultra-low latency needed for fronthaul. And by using an existing fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network for mobile transport, network operators can connect 5G small cell locations in a quicker, more efficient way, eliminating the need for a dedicated transport network, whilst slashing the total cost of ownership (TCO).

"CSPs will be able to bring better broadband to consumers and businesses, both through fixed fiber and 5G mobile broadband.”

Sandra Motley, Nokia.

“Nokia continues to lead the PON evolution. We have a long history of firsts: from the first volume GPON deployments to the first 10G PON and next-generation access platforms,” said Sandra Motley, president of fixed networks at Nokia. “It is vital that we keep pushing and enable our customers to capitalize on new opportunities while fully leveraging their existing investments. By delivering a step-change increase in fiber broadband networks with our 25G PON solution, CSPs will be able to bring better broadband to consumers and businesses, both through fixed fiber and 5G mobile broadband.”

World's first 25G PON

Nokia’s announcement heralds the world’s first 25 Gbps symmetrical PON fiber broadband solution, which will work with existing PON hardware from Nokia, such as access nodes and line cards. And Nokia’s 25G PON has been designed for simplicity and cost-efficiency, and is based on Nokia’s Quillion chipset.

“25G PON is important technology to support 5G cross-haul and we aim to enhance our fiber broadband network beyond 10 Gbps."

Chi-Min Lo, Chunghwa Telecom.

“25G PON is important technology to support 5G cross-haul and we aim to enhance our fiber broadband network beyond 10 Gbps to meet increasing demand and grasp new business opportunities in mobile transport and premium enterprise services,” explained Chi-Min Lo, managing director of network planning at Chunghwa Telecom, a Nokia partner. “We’re excited to partner with Nokia and ready to test their 25G PON solution and look forward to getting it into the field.” 

In October Nokia announced its membership of the 25GS-PON MSA group, a new body of leading system vendors, component vendors and operators that are keen to put their collective weight behind the acceleration of 25G PON.

“Mobile operators are increasingly turning to fiber broadband for efficient mobile transport that will support 5G densification and new cloud network architectures,”  Nokia said when it announced its membership of the 25GS-PON MSA Group. “While XGS-PON can support many 5G requirements, even 10 Gb/s will struggle where there’s a high density of 5G small cells, high throughput per cell, or where a premium SLA needs to be maintained.”

Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.