What is XGS PON

What is XGS-PON?

XGS-PON is a 10 Gbps symmetric passive optical network (X=10, S=symmetric). Optical fiber’s greater transmission capacity and speed deliver upstream and downstream (symmetric) speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s (gigabits per second) on the road to connecting users in the last mile.

This means that users can transfer and download large-capacity files equally fast over long distances, allowing them to experience fantastic performance when playing cloud games or watching 4K videos.

Evolution of GPON Technology

GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) is an access technology for passive optical networks (PON) based on the ITU-T G.984.x standard. GPON provides 2.5 Gbps downstream bandwidth and 1.25 Gbps upstream bandwidth. The development of GPON has contributed to the development and popularization of FTTH. With the growing demand for higher bandwidth, new generation PON technologies such as 10G passive Optical Networks and 10G symmetric Passive optical Networks have emerged.

XG-PON (10 Gb Passive Optical Network) was launched in 2010, providing 10 Gbps downstream bandwidth and 2.5 Gbps upstream bandwidth.

XGS-PON is a further development of GPON technology. In 2016, it replaced the 10G Passive Optical Network, which operated synchronously. It is designed to provide symmetrical uplink and downlink bandwidths, with uplink and downlink data rates up to 10 Gbps.

XGS-PON Structure and Components

In a 10Gbps symmetric passive optical network, there is an optical line terminal (OLT) at the service provider’s end, multiple optical network units (ONUs) or optical network terminals (ONTs) near the end user, a splitter (SPL) in the middle to manage the distribution of the fiber network, and the ODN acts as the optical transmission medium between the ONT and the OLT.

1. XGS-PON OLT

The OLT (Optical Line Termination) is the starting point of the passive optical network and connects to the core switch via an Ethernet cable. Its primary function is to convert, frame, and transmit signals for the PON network and coordinate the multiplexing of the Optical Network Terminals to share uplink transmissions.

When operating at the basic wavelength set, the XGS-PON OLT port supports dual line rates (nominal 2.5 Gbit/s and 10 Gbit/s) in the uplink direction. This makes it compatible with 10 Gb Symmetric Optical Network ONUs coexisting on the same ODN as the 10 Gb Passive Optical Network ONU.

2. XGS-PON ONT

The ONT (Optical Network Terminal) converts the optical signals transmitted over the optical fiber into electrical signals, which are then sent to individual subscribers. The end-user device can also be called an Optical Network Unit (ONU). ONT is essentially the same as ONU, which is ITU-T terminology, while OLT is IEEE terminology and belongs to a different body of standards.

3. Optical Splitters

These passive devices manage the transmission of optical signals. For example, a 1:16 splitter divides an input signal into 16 output signals, allowing a single OLT port to serve multiple ONTs, which optimizes the use of fiber optic resources and provides a network for multiple users.

4. Optical Distribution Network (ODN)

The ODN is the necessary route for XGS-PON data transmission. There are two directions for optical transmission in the ODN: the downstream direction of signal transmission from the OLT to the ONU and the upstream direction of signal transmission from the ONU to the OLT.

Advantages of XGS-PON

1. High Bandwidth Features

10 Gbps upload and download speeds are at the heart of XGS-PON’s technology. This level of performance allows users to transmit 4K and 8K HD video streams, participate in multiplayer HD video conferences, and engage in multiplayer games online.

2. Low-cost Investment, Long-term Value

XGS-PON can coexist with XG-PON and GPON in the same network, so operators and subscribers can upgrade their networks without changing hardware. Today, this type of network is at the peak of deployment.

3. Energy Efficiency

With global warming, energy is now a significant concern. Energy-efficient technologies have become a key focus for operators, reducing operating costs and meeting national regulatory requirements. XGS-PON offers downlink speeds up to four times faster than GPON but consumes only 1.7 times more power.

4. Security

XGS-PON inherits the advantages of previous technologies regarding data transmission security and network reliability. Fiber optic transmission is inherently more secure, providing higher bandwidth while maintaining high data security and network reliability requirements. Its system supports a variety of authentication mechanisms and provides message integrity checking.

Sample Scenarios for XGS-PON Applications

XGS-PON brings profound changes to residential users, commercial companies, and the telecom industry, and its deployment helps residential users to improve the quality of network life, commercial companies to upgrade data processing, video conferencing, and other services, and broadband service providers to build 5G networks.

The following is a sample scenario of the 10 Gb Symmetric Passive Optical Network application:

The Future of XGS-PON

1. Technology Innovation

The trend in PON standards is to introduce new standards every 9 to 10 years. Therefore, 50G Passive Optical Network is expected to be launched in 2025 to 2026, but the launch of 50G PON will not affect the deployment process of XGS-PON, which is expected to dominate the market in 2026. Therefore, 10G Symmetric Passive Optical Network will continue to undergo technological innovations, which are expected to become more versatile and improve energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

2. 5G Deployment

5G enables higher data efficiency, ultra-low latency, and more reliable and stable data transmission. XGS-PON also plays a vital role in FTTH deployment. In the future, it will play an important role in 5G network promotion.