The new fixed ultra-broadband technology is designed to allow operators to increase the capacity of existing fibre networks and address growing customer data demands.
Announced at the Broadband World Forum, Alcatel-Lucent has been collaborating with Vodafone for the co-development of TWDM-PON since 2010, and the companies have contributed successfully for standardisation to complete a successful trial.
“We have long been the technology leader in both copper and fibre fixed-access technologies and we are extending this further with this new development of PON,” said Federico Guillén, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s fixed networks business. “Vodafone has played a vital role in preparing TWDM-PON as an industry-agreed standard by looking at its own potential usage in different countries for both fixed and mobile operations.”
TWDM-PON technology is seen as the successor to the GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Networks) technologies, and uses four wavelengths per fibre, totalling capacity to 40Gbps.
Alcatel-Lucent has also announced the launch of a new broadband solution called G.fast, which is set to become available in Q1 2015.
The move is designed to extend company’s increasing portfolio of high-bandwidth fixed and wireless access technologies.
G.fast is designed to allow operators to place fibre access closer to subscribers, and provide faster internet as demand continues to grow.
The commercial launch follows 12 trials with operators, including Telekom Austria’s A1, BT and Orange.
