Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2019.  Read them in this 11th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by Robert Conger, CTO Americas, ADTRAN

10G PON for All

In 2019, there will be a shift to 10G PON as service providers focus on driving network synergies by converging residential, business and mobile x-haul connectivity onto a common fiber access network. We see this trend picking up across operators of all sizes and across multiples flavors of next-gen PON (i.e., 10G EPON, XG-PON1, XGS-PON, and NGPON2) and we are tracking towards 10G PON replacing GPON as the dominant point-to-multi-point (p2mp) fiber access medium within the next few years.

The need to build these multi-gigabit networks is increasing every day due to competitive pressures, the growing number of options for premium video content and the ever-increasing need for bandwidth. Emerging high-bandwidth applications like high-resolution 360º video and fully-immersive VR/AR applications for both residential and enterprise users coupled with cell densification initiatives for 5G networks are forcing operators to either adopt 10G PON to converge these services onto a common network or be forced to build, maintain and operate parallel fiber networks for each service type. The demand for fiber connectivity will continue to grow along with the bandwidth-intensive applications driving the demand for fiber, increasing the urgency for operators to ensure their fiber networks are optimized for scale and efficiency on the front-end rather than reacting to capacity and density constraints later in the process.

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About the Author

Robert Conger is the Chief Technology Officer of the Americas for ADTRAN. Prior to this role, Robert has served a wide range of roles within ADTRAN, including Associate Vice President of Carrier Strategy, Director of Product Management and Global Business Development Manager. Robert holds a Masters in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.