Nokia and Etisalat UAE, branded as Etisalat by e&, demonstrated the fastest passive optical network speed in the middle and African regions. Nokia Bell Lab's PON proof of concept achieved rates four times faster than most advanced networks today, with 100 gigabits per second on a single wavelength.
Nokia and Etisalat UAE have established numerous industry firsts in their long-standing relationship, including the world's first single carrier terabit per second field trial and the highest optical transmission capacity over Etisalat's e& fiber network in the United Arab Emirates.
Nokia Bell Labs used pioneering digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to achieve 100 Gbps on a single wavelength. Once advanced DSP is adopted, the steps to 50G and 100G are straightforward, and 100G could be commercially available in the 2030s.
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World's first application of flexible rate transmission in a PON Network
The Nokia bell labs 100G PON prototype is the world's first application of flexible rate transmission in the PON network. Flexible rate transmission works by grouping fiber modems (ONUs) that exhibit similar physical network characteristics, making data transmission more efficient. In addition, the usage of flexible rate transmission results in low latency on PON and cuts power consumption in half.
The PoC is Nokia's most recent industry-first in fiber access, following XGS-PON, TWDM-PON, and 25G PON. 100G PON could be commercially available in the 2030s.
Marwan Bin Shakar, Senior Vice President/Access Network Development, Etisalat by e& said: "Fiber networks are fast evolving into becoming the backbone of the entire telecommunications sector as they play an important role in delivering any service to any endpoint, including residences, businesses, and cell sites. As their use case evolves, they must become quicker, smarter, and more cost-effective. We are thrilled to have showcased a working prototype for 100G PON with Nokia."
"Our partnership with Nokia is a demonstration of our commitment to maximise value for our customers and bring positive change to their lives in the age of digitalisation. Through our partnership, we are looking forward to continuing our efforts in bringing in the best-in-class solutions to our customers and enabling the adoption of innovative technological solutions within the UAE and the region." Shakar added.
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Samer Makke, Head of the Customer Team for Etisalat by e&, UAE, at Nokia, said: "etisalat by e& is a pioneering operator in the region and we are proud to have demonstrated our industry-first prototype technology with the company. Fiber broadband continues to evolve and will play a critical role in enabling services for enterprise customers, premium consumers, and supporting 5G rollouts. 10G XGS-PON is now mainstream; the first 25G city is a reality; and 50G and 100G are being developed. This just shows the unlimited potential of fiber broadband."
