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Nokia launches flexible 50G/25G/10GPON solution to accelerate AI-ready fiber broadband. * Nokia is the first vendor with a 16-port line card solution that supports GPON, 10G, 25G and 50G PON on every port, enabling operators to evolve their networks with greater flexibility and lower risk. * Built on Nokia's Quillion chipset and multi-PON optical modules, the high-density line card unlocks mass-market deployment of fiber access speeds up to 50Gbps. * Nokia's industry-first multi-PON solution enables instant, high-performance, quantum-safe connectivity to meet the demands of the AI era, with general availability planned for 2027. Nokia recently announced a new 50G/25G/10G/GPON line card that gives operators the flexibility to evolve their fiber network at their own pace and be ready for the demands of the AI era. As AI transforms how consumers, businesses and industries use networks, richer content, greater cloud interaction and growing upstream traffic are increasing requirements for capacity, low latency, security and reliability. The solution enables operators to adapt their existing fiber networks as these demands grow. Earlier line cards could limit operators to a narrower set of PON technologies, requiring them to commit capacity in advance or add hardware as market needs changed. Nokia's new multi-PON line card supports multiple generations on every port, allowing operators to introduce higher speeds when and where demand develops. Built on Nokia's in-house Quillion chip and optical PON modules, the new solution supports GPON, 10G, 25G and 50G PON on every port, together with a variety of multi-PON optical modules. This now allows operators to deploy the technology - or combination of technologies - in a flexible way that's best suited to each market, service or business case. Operators can add or change PON generations on the same port and fiber as demand evolves. "The future of broadband is becoming harder to predict. AI is reshaping traffic patterns and creating new expectations for bandwidth, latency, security and reliability. At the same time, operators must make investments in next generation PON that will serve them for years to come. With our new line card, operators do not have to bet everything on a single path. They can deploy the PON technology their market needs now; add additional technologies on the same port and same fiber as the need arises; and easily mix and match PON generations to capture multiple revenue streams," said Maryam Chaudry, SVP & GM, Fixed Networks, Nokia. "As operators prepare their networks for AI-driven applications and higher-speed broadband services, flexibility is becoming just as important as performance. Nokia's ability to support multiple PON generations on every port gives operators a practical, lower-risk path to evolve their fiber networks as demand develops," said Jeff Heynen, vice president, Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell'Oro Group Powered by Nokia's Quillion chipset and multi-PON optical modules, the line card provides a flexible evolution path from GPON/10G to 25G and 50G PON. For example, operators can deploy 10G + 25G PON today and add 50G PON when demand accelerates. Alternatively, those planning for 10G + 50G PON can easily add 25G PON if market needs develop differently. The solution also enhances network performance, security and resilience: * Up to 4x lower upstream latency for more responsive, data-intensive applications. * Quantum-safe encryption and authentication to safeguard network and user data against emerging threats. * End-to-end resilience without a single point of failure for dependable delivery of mission-critical connectivity services.

Nokia elevates Girish Mehta to Director and Head of NPO. Summarize with: New Delhi, Oct 15(APAC Media): Nokia has elevated Girish Mehta to Director and Head of Network Planning and Optimisation (NPO). Mehta has previously worked with Bharti Airtel Foundation and Ericsson India. His experience spans telecommunications and network technology, with his new role focused on network planning and optimisation. India parcel delivery In his new position, Mehta will focus on improving network planning, optimisation and operational efficiency. These functions help telecom operators manage network capacity, improve coverage and maintain service performance as demand for mobile connectivity grows. Network planning helps operators identify capacity requirements and expand coverage, while optimisation focuses on improving the performance of existing networks. Both areas are important for telecom companies seeking to deliver reliable connectivity and manage network resources efficiently. Mehta's experience at Ericsson India adds to his background in telecommunications and network technology. He has also worked with Bharti Airtel Foundation before taking up the leadership position at Nokia. Summarize with:

Strategic duality: Navigating HFC and DOCSIS upgrades toward a fiber- and PON-dominated future. An Omdia survey finds that demand for higher speeds, ongoing pressure to reduce operational costs and a changing competitive landscape are driving operators to consider new network approaches. Jim Hodges, Chief Analyst - Cloud and Security, Heavy Reading October 15, 2026 Sponsored by Nokia Hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) networks have provided scalable and cost-effective broadband for many years. However, the tremendous demand for higher speeds, ongoing pressure to reduce operational costs and a changing competitive landscape are driving cable operators and other HFC-based network operators to consider new approaches. They are pursuing two primary paths: upgrading their HFC network to increase broadband capabilities and deploying fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks. To gain insight into HFC operators' strategies and priorities, Omdia partnered with Nokia to create a 25-question global web-based survey. The findings are based on responses obtained in May 2026 from 83 employees who worked exclusively for cable operators, municipal service providers or electrical cooperatives. Upgrading HFC networks. Evolving HFC Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)-based networks through software and hardware updates is not a new strategy, but it continues to be a relevant one - as confirmed in the survey results. While DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.1 Plus/Enhanced are currently the preferred upgrades, the survey results confirmed that DOCSIS 4.0 Extended Spectrum (ESD) at 39% and DOCSIS 4.0 Full Duplex (FDX) at 26% are emerging as strong options for future upgrades. Moreover, as captured in the figure below, these DOCSIS upgrade programs are following an accelerated path; 85% of the operators surveyed forecast they will complete their upgrade programs within the next 24 months. This data, as well as other data from the complete survey report, entitled HFC Evolution and the Rise of PON, reinforces that HFC operators are committed to protecting their investment and upgrading DOCSIS-based networks. When will you complete your DOCSIS upgrade program? Deploying PON. While committed to DOCSIS upgrades in the next 24 months, the survey also verified that HFC operators are looking beyond DOCSIS and taking a new path forward. The technology base that will drive this journey forward is passive optical network (PON). PON-based FTTP networks have emerged as the preferred future path because PON is already well-proven to be reliable, scalable and cost-effective to deploy. Similar to their accelerated DOCSIS upgrade path, HFC operators are adopting an aggressive stance on PON deployment, with 90% planning to deploy PON in brownfield networks and 97% in greenfield networks. In fact, 84% of operators have already started migrating some HFC subscribers to FTTP. Understanding PON variant preferences, with speeds ranging from 10Gbps to 50Gbps, was also a key research focus. With the exception of 50G PON, which is in a pre-commercial trial phase, 10G and 25G solutions are now generally available. Consistent with its maturity and broad availability, most network operators are currently deploying 10G solutions. Of these, XGS-PON is the most common approach. While 25G and 50G deployments will take time to scale, there is already significant interest in deployment. As shown in the table below, more than 9 out of 10 network operators are "currently deploying" (25G = 27%, 50G = 10%), "planning to deploy" (25G = 36%, 50G = 44%), or "considering deploying" (25G = 30%, 50G =39%). This leaves only 7% of operators with "no plans to deploy" either. What are your deployment plans for the following technologies on your FTTP network? The survey research also confirmed that HFC operators believe FTTP/PON will make them stronger on multiple levels. As captured in the figure below, operators believe that FTTP/PON will help them optimize their network, make them more competitive and generate new revenue. Network-centric drivers include future-proofing the network (33%), along with increased reliability/reduced network operational and maintenance costs (32%). The competitive factors include competition from fiber overbuilders (32%) and fixed wireless access (FWA) providers (25%). On the business side, the drivers are to offer new services or address new market segments (29%) and generate higher revenue per subscriber (29%). What are the main factors driving your company's FTTP/PON upgrade? (Select up to three). This blog is sponsored by Nokia. Chief Analyst - Cloud and Security, Heavy Reading Jim leads Heavy Reading's research on the impact of NFV on the control plane and application layers at the core and edge. This includes the evolution path of SIP applications, unified communications (UC), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), session border controllers (SBCs), Diameter signaling controllers (DSCs), policy controllers and WebRTC. Jim is also focused on the network and subscriber impact of Big Data and Analytics. He authors Heavy Reading's NFV and SDN Market Trackers. Other areas of research coverage include Subscriber Data Management (SDM) and fixed-line TDM replacement. Jim joined Heavy Reading from Nortel Networks, where he tracked the VoIP and application server market landscape and was a key contributor to the development of Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) standards. Additional technical experience was gained with Bell Canada, where he performed IN and SS7 network planning, numbering administration, technical model forecast creation and definition of regulatory-based interconnection models. Jim is based in Ottawa, Canada. Want more Light Reading stories in your Google search results? Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.