10 Dec 2021

Nokia demos first UK 25G PON for 5G backhaul

Nokia has teamed up with full-fibre network operator CityFibre and the Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) to carry out what the duo claim is the UK’s first successful trial of a 25G passive optical network (PON) to fuel backhaul capacity for a 5G network.

The successful test, which was conducted at S5GC’s University of Glasgow site, used the network for a series of simulations including a holographic call between campus buildings, teleoperation of a robotic arm and 8K video streaming.

Nokia claims that symmetric speed 25G PON is the next step in the evolution of the technology which underpins full fibre broadband and high capacity data networks. The network can “enable the converging of high-end services on a single fibre infrastructure” according to the Finnish telecoms giant.

For the trial, Nokia ran the 25G PON network ran on the same fibre as CityFibre’s existing XGS-PON powered service to demonstrate the ability for the coexistence of multiple wavelengths on the PON which can provide the backhaul for an ultra-low latency 5G mobile network.

Chief executive of Nokia UK, Phil Siveter, said the use of 25G PON will be a “game-changer with mission-critical 5G networks [that are] increasingly requiring more redundancy”.