March the 13th, 2022 - Hrvatski Telekom/Croatian Telecom (HT) and Nokia were among the first in the entire world to test advanced 25G PON optical technology in the HT Rijeka lab.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, this is the latest generation of optical network, which increases the speed of download and transmission to unprecedented levels, and with this test, the Rijeka lab measured a speed of 20 gigabits per second.

25G PON technology is otherwise ten times faster than GPON technology, which was enabled by HT for the first time with gigabit broadband access back in 2007, then again but two and a half times faster than XGS-PON technology which was applicable within the HT network from 2021.

The equipment currently used by Hrvatski Telekom is ready for 25G PON, which means that it isn't necessary to make any further adjustments to the main systems in order to realise its commercial availability.

The biggest advantages of 25G PON optics are large capacities, cost optimisation, a generally wider application and a simple introduction into the existing HT optical network, and its application will accelerate the introduction and development of advanced high-performance solutions such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

"Ten years ago, a piece of technology was launched that enabled the transition to HDTV without which many of us wouldn't be able to imagine everyday life now, and today the 25G PON optical network is making history at speeds 200 times faster than that. By testing 25G PON optics and being among the first in the world to do so at the Rijeka lab, Hrvatski Telekom is highlighting its commitment to establishing and maintaining the best user experience through monitoring and introducing some of the world's most modern technological trends,'' said Ivan Uremovic, the director of Strategy and Planning of Access Networks.

Hrvatski Telekom is otherwise one of the first companies from the Deutsche Telekom Group to test out Nokia's broadband 25G PON optics.

Manfred Egger, head of Fixed Access Network Development for Deutsche Telekom and Central Europe at Nokia, said:

“25G PON works flawlessly on the same hardware with existing GPON and XGS-PON broadband technologies. We're very proud to have successfully completed this important test, which confirms the ease with which communication service providers can expand their scope and capacity of broadband access.''

Back in 2021, Hrvatski Telekom increased its fixed network with a record introduction of optics for a new 100,000 households and companies, and the total FTTH coverage increased by 30 percent compared to last year. In that same year, HT was also awarded Umlaut's "Best in Test" award for the best fixed network.

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