nbn-Nokia partnership could deliver 10 Gbps speeds

nbn has partnered with Nokia to trial NG-PON2 fibre technology that could help nbn deliver symmetrical speeds of 10 Gbps to its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) end-user premises.

During trials in Melbourne, NG-PON2 delivered trial lab speeds of 102 Gbps — generated from 40 Gbps symmetrical speeds on time and wavelength division multiplexing (TWDM-PON) technology, 10 Gbps symmetrical on XGS-PON and a further 2.5 Gbps on nbn’s current gigabit passive optical network (GPON) technology.

nbn is currently offering wholesale maximum speeds of up to 1 Gbps to retail service providers and expects its current GPON-based FTTP network will be available to up to 2.5 million premises by 2020.

NG-PON2 is the next-generation fibre technology standard that will, over time, augment the GPON technology currently offered to retailers selling services over the nbn FTTP network. Using new TWDM technology which supports between 4 and 8 wavelengths on a single fibre, NG-PON2 is expected to deliver initial symmetrical speeds on FTTP up to 10 Gbps and potentially well beyond as the technology develops.

nbn Chief Technology Officer Dennis Steiger said, “The NG-PON2 trials we have conducted with Nokia have shown us the huge potential this very exciting technology has in terms of helping us deliver on future consumer demand for data at speed.”