The 25G PON (passive optical network) technology, pioneered by Nokia, is designed to deliver download speeds of 25 Gbps over a single optical fibre, and it can run on the same underlying infrastructure that Openreach is already building across the UK.

Having already tested the 25G PON technology at Openreach’s Adastral Park lab in Ipswich, UK, Nokia and the broadband provider the plan to launch a field trial by the end of 2021. 

The trial will put the technology through its paces using a range of applications they describe as bandwidth-hungry. If the field trials to test compatibility with existing technologies are completed successfully, Openreach said that this could mean the companies could develop an even wider range of services and speeds for the UK’s communications providers to offer consumers and businesses in the future, allowing them to upgrade customers quickly, smoothly and without any disruption.

“The full-fibre network we’re building today is going to be the platform for the UK’s economic, social and environmental prosperity, and these trials prove that we can keep upgrading the speeds and services our customers experience over that network for decades to come,” remarked Openreach network technology director Peter Bell.

Added Nokia Fixed Networks president Sandy Motley: “The key to unlock the virtually unlimited capacity that fibre offers is to develop new generations of fibre technology and faster chips. Having GPON, XGS-PON and 25GS-PON all on the same fibre means Openreach can efficiently evolve the network capabilities, address new opportunities and connect more consumers, businesses and 5G cell sites.”