Nokia Launches Gigabit Connect Solution

Nokia launched Gigabit Connect to make it easier for fiber network providers to deploy gigabit broadband services in MDUs where the final connection leg is via twisted pair or coaxial cables. The solution delivers the same speed and low-latency experience for the end-user as full FTTH.

Fiber providers often encounter difficulties in bringing fiber to every apartment in residential buildings. The age of the building can mean there is a lack of space or in-built ducting, or legal issues might constrain the deployment. G.fast technologies can help by enabling operators to terminate the fiber in a central location in the building and then bridging it to any existing television, data, or telephone cables for the last leg.

Nokia’s Gigabit Connect solution builds on G.fast capabilities, hiding its complexity and enabling the last leg connection to be managed as a fiber endpoint under a single pane of the glass management interface. This is especially important for operators who focus on fiber-only deployment and who do not have expertise with technologies over copper twisted pair. Gigabit Connect can be deployed with no impact on existing network management and FTTH services.

“We estimate that 20% of MDUs are challenging for new fiber installations. Using G.fast over a building’s existing cables goes a long way to solving the problem, but it can be a challenge for operators to build expertise in new technologies. With Gigabit Connect, we are hiding the complexity, enabling plug-and-play fiber deployment and ongoing management as with any normal fiber line. Furthermore, consumers will experience the same speed and low-latency performance as standard fiber,“ said Sandy Motley, President of Fixed Networks at Nokia.