Alcatel-Lucent and Energia Communications are conducting the first field trial of next generation ultra-broadband access technologies in Japan. The trial will pave the way for the delivery of higher capacity business and residential services, including ultra-high definition 8K television and video on demand. Trial demonstrates capability of next-generation technologies in enabling seamless network evolution to deliver future high-capacity services such as 8K TV.
Japan has one of the highest penetrations of fiber-to-the-home ultra-broadband services in the world and connections have reached more than 37 million households according to the MIC. With the country hosting a major global sporting event in 2018, the first 8K-resolution TV test broadcasts scheduled to begin in 2016, and the Internet of Things bringing with it a myriad of devices placing demands on communications networks, network traffic is set to increase at a dramatic rate. As a result Energia Communications has begun to investigate the possibility of increasing its access network capacity to meet future high volume traffic demands from its consumer and enterprise customers.
The trial is using Alcatel-Lucent’s G.fast technology to increase the speed of Energia Communications’ existing copper network which will deliver up to 1G ultra-broadband access to multi-dwelling buildings. Alcatel-Lucent’s TWDM-PON technology is being used over Energia Communications’ existing PON FTTH network, using the same fiber. TWDM-PON allows service providers to seamlessly increase network capacity from 1 gigabit-per-second to 40 Gb/s using multiple wavelengths. Alcatel-Lucent’s IP/MPLS 7750 Service Router will be used to back-haul traffic from the access aggregation network to Energia Communications’ core network.
The trial showcases the possibility of delivering FTTH-like speeds over existing copper networks using G.Fast where fiber cannot be deployed, for example multiple-dwelling buildings such as apartment blocks. ALU demonstrated that TWDM-PON can coexist on the same fiber with 1 Gbps EPON, providing a total capacity of up to 40G. Alcatel-Lucent’s 7750 Service Routers are being used as broadband access servers to ensure a stable and highly reliable core network that will support the increased demand of each type of services.
Energia Communications Inc. (EneCom) provides community-oriented information and communication services, such as telecommunication and information processing, centered around the Chugoku region in Japan. Today’s ICT (Information and Communication Technology) industry is seeing constant innovation, rapid service implementation and convergence and enhancements to existing services. A variety of ICT-based content and applications has been developed and implemented, changing the business environment for ICT companies.
