Nokia says Korean telco, SK Broadband, is using its passive optical networking technology over existing fiber plant to enable end users to connect at up to 52.5Gbps. However this bandwidth is shared with other users.
'Nokia and SK Broadband have provided the fastest fiber access speeds ever to a first set of apartment buildings in Seoul, South Korea, reaching aggregate speeds of 52.5Gbps,' Nokia said.
'Reusing the existing fiber network and access platform, on which they already have deployed Gigabit Passive Optical Network technology (GPON) at 2.5Gbps, they can now boost speeds up to 52.5Gbps,' Nokia said.
'To do so, SK Broadband is using multi-dwelling units (MDUs) from HFR and Nokia's universal next generation PON solution, making it possible to aggregate different technologies on the existing fiber.
Nokia said it had developed the multidwelling unit technology with HFR, which it described as 'a prominent Korean vendor of wired/wireless network equipment like GPON, Mobile fronthaul, Carrier Ethernet.'
It added: 'South Korea is known as the world's most connected country offering the world's top upload and download speeds, and it has set clear strategic goals to have gigabit broadband available to all citizens by 2020. With this latest generation of fiber access technologies, SK Broadband aims to take its commitment yet one step further to offer speeds of 10Gbps to all its customers. This will boost the country's highly competitive business environment as well as the innovations in broadband services delivered to the market.'
Yoo Ji-chang, Head of SK Broadband's Network Division, said: ""As a new era looms that demands gigabit internet, ultra high definition video and virtual and augmented reality services, SK Broadband will establish a network infrastructure that provides the best customer value. Following the world's first commercialization of an ADSL service and the two-pair LAN cable 500M service, we will establish a top-class optical Internet platform to create the best gigabit broadband service environment for our customers.""
Nokia has also announced that it has enhanced its PON product line. 'The enhancements include new SDN/NFV-based capabilities that automate and simplify the deployment, maintenance and evolution of traditional fiber networks,' Nokia said. 'This provides a smooth evolution path to 10G symmetrical or asymmetrical speeds with cost-efficient non-tunable XGS-PON optics and to TWDM-PON with tunable optics.'
Federico Guillen, president of Nokia's Fixed Networks business group, said: ""The enhancements to our next-generation PON portfolio make it easier and more cost-effective for service providers to seamlessly evolve their existing fiber networks in line with demand.""
