Verizon Starts Lab Testing NG-PON2 technology

Verizon Communications Inc. VZ indicated that it started lab nesting of NG-PON2 technology, which is a next generation passive optical network. As the company advanced toward executing fresh technology on its fiber optic infrastructure, it struck a critical juncture in its RFP process by tapping two companies to start the lab testing.

Verizon disclosed it would start the initial testing with equipment from Ericsson, i.e. in alliance with Calix, and ADTRAN. The telecom service provider added that the testing would focus on a number of features of NG-PON2. That included tuning performance, ability to carry residential and business services on the same platform, apart from interoperability and conformance testing to meet its ONT specifications.

The company's Director of network planning, Vincent O'Byrne, said, "When it comes to NG-PON2, ADTRAN and Ericsson/Calix have developed new designs and some novel, yet different, approaches that put them at the forefront of the industry."

The telecom service provider said it was assessing the next-generation technology to offer higher speeds, as well as, functionality to its customers on its Fios network. The company added that its NG-PON2 technology supports a maximum of 40G total capacity and a maximum of 10G speeds per customer, both upstream and downstream, in a single fiber. The company claimed that it represented a tenfold increase in some of the current speeds in the industry.