Is 50G PON the next mass-market solution

Is 50G PON the next mass-market solution?

10G PON (XGS-PON) will deliver the bandwidth needs for most residential and business broadband use cases throughout the coming decade. But what about future applications demanding fiber connectivity with capacity beyond what XGS-PON can deliver? What is the technology standards roadmap for moving beyond 10Gbit/s on PON architectures, and what considerations are needed to introduce next-generation solutions alongside existing deployments?

First, let's take a trip back in time, pick up some expert tips on choosing the right technology for your fiber investment, and consider compelling business use cases for future-proofing your network.

A PON history lesson: Cautionary tales and key lessons

By examining the history of PON technologies, we can learn which have succeeded and which have failed. Let's start with notable market failures:

• XG-PON1 (10G/2.5G): It was ahead of its time, catering to a market that didn't exist yet: multigigabit residential services. When deployments began in 2011, subscribers didn't need such high speeds. Additionally, its asymmetric nature hindered the delivery of a converged residential and business network.
• NG-PON2 (10G/10G over four wavelengths): This was a super cool technology featuring [expensive] tunable transceivers on the ONT side, allowing connection to one of several 10Gbit/s wavelengths sent by the OLT. Despite the buzz around its multi-wavelength concept, it didn't have the necessary market acceptance to jump-start the supply chain's critical mass.

The big oversight shared by both XG-PON1 and NG-PON2 was the lack of adoption by major global service providers such as China Mobile, Telefonica, Etisalat and Orange. Without their support, these technologies failed to reach critical mass. The largest service providers make up two-thirds of the global PON market's volume and are the driving force for economies of scale in silicon and optics for the rest of the market.

So, what technologies did they back? GPON (ITU-T G.984), XGS-PON (ITU-T G.9807) and now 50G PON (ITU-T G.9804). As discussed in a previous blog, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) created these standards. This organization specifies PON standards and has developed the latest industry-demanded standard, 50G PON.

A strategic move: Adtran's venture into 50G PON development

Subscriber demand for bandwidth shows no signs of slowing. With GPON expected to run out of capacity by 2026, service providers are already pivoting to XGS-PON. The latest 2026 forecasts also indicates that over 55% of the PON market will feature XGS-PON deployments, with significant growth in 50G PON in 2027 as service providers upgrade their 10G PON networks. To give service providers a competitive advantage in delivering multigigabit services, Adtran has driven technological innovation with its pioneering work developing and integrating 50G PON technology.

50G PON is the next mass-market step in evolving networks to keep pace with growing bandwidth needs. Designed with the service provider in mind, 50G PON checks all the major boxes for scalability and marketability for new and existing networks:

• Significantly increased bandwidth: Multiple types of broadband services are provided from the same node, tiered by bandwidth and symmetry, for different customer types and applications - residential, business and backhaul.
• Re-use of existing infrastructure: Seamless coexistence with GPON and XGS-PON ensures a smooth transition with no risk of disrupting existing services.
• Enhanced marketing message: Offering multigigabit services not only provides a competitive edge in marketing but also enhances service provider brand perception.

With so many data-hungry applications on the horizon, it's more important than ever for service providers to build for the future. Emerging applications such as hybrid gaming worlds, multi-modal generative AI and enhanced automation in industrial digitalization must be considered to ensure existing network infrastructure remains relevant and supports the next generation of broadband applications.

Here are a few compelling 50G PON business case drivers for consideration:

• Deliver business and enterprise services: Offer four 10GbE connections split among multiple businesses. (Note: Enterprise represents 5% of premises but 40% of revenue for mid-tier service providers.)
• Drive the market to higher-speed services: Similar to 1Gbit/s service offerings in 2010, but think bigger like 10Gbit/s and 20Gbit/s services.
• Backhaul other P2MP services: Provide backhaul for public Wi-Fi hotspots, private wireless LANs, fixed wireless access nodes and small cell backhaul.
• Future-proof infrastructure: Even if you aren't ready to deploy 50G in the short term, ensure that your FTTH infrastructure investment is secure for the long haul by deploying 50G-capable OLT ports.

Key takeaways

Adtran has consistently led the way in advancing fiber connectivity, delivering solutions that set new industry standards. We know a thing or two when it comes to pioneering solutions and have some key takeaways for service providers pursuing this cutting-edge technology:

• 50G PON will be the next mass-market PON technology: It's already being backed by the largest global operators and identified as the next step beyond XGS-PON in the PON technology evolution.
• 50G PON is the most cost-effective solution for next-gen PON: It allows upgrades without disrupting existing ODNs and is designed to meet service provider growth requirements driven by competition, emerging applications and user demand.
• Growing begins with scalable network management tools: The right network management tools will speed up migration between technologies and streamline operations with reduced provisioning times.

50G PON represents a significant leap forward in fiber connectivity, offering scalable and future-proof solutions for service providers. By understanding past lessons and leveraging cutting-edge technology, providers can ensure they are well-positioned to meet tomorrow's bandwidth demands and capitalize on emerging opportunities.