OFweek Optical Communication Network News: With the ITU-T recently launched 40Gbps passive optical network (NG-PON2) G.989 series of standards, the development of next-generation passive optical network (NG-PON) has taken a big step forward.

ITU-T's first revision to ITU-T G.989.2 is an updated amendment to the NG-PON2 physical layer specification.

This is a milestone development for service providers. Service providers are now waiting to see how NG-PON2 will be used to deliver broadband access speeds in excess of 10 Gbps for businesses and potentially home users.

NG-PON2 comes on the heels of 1G G-PON (ITU-T G.984 series) and 10G XG-PON1 (ITU-T G.987 series), and boasts enhanced capabilities such as multi-wavelength operation, and wavelength tuning of transceiver and receiverONUs.

Based on multi-wavelength and point-to-multipoint architectures, the primary solution for NG-PON2 is time and OTN/" target="_blank ">Wave Division Multiplexing PON ( TWDM-PON ). In fact, TWDM-PON consists of four to eight wavelengths in both directions, capable of up to 80 Gbps in each direction.

For service providers, by deploying NG-PON2, they can reuse the Optical Distribution Networks (ODNs) used for the deployment of previous generations of PONs. In addition, NG-PON2's wavelengths allow for the coexistence of GPON (ITU-T G.984 series) and XG-PON1 (ITU-T G.987 series).

It is still in its early stages for the industry as a whole. Some service providers are either building infrastructure to utilize NG-PON or conducting field tests with selected customers.

At least three major service providers, including Verizon, Vodafone, and Energia all conducted NG-PON field tests in 2015.