Mao Qian: Gigabit broadband has a long way to go, and 10G broadband is about to emerge

At the "Gigabit Optical Access Technology Development Forum" held recently, Mao Qian, honorary director of the Optical Communications Professional Committee of the China Communications Society and chairman of the China FTTH Forum, said that there is still a long way to go for gigabit broadband and 10-gigabit broadband is about to emerge.

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Gigabit broadband, a long way to go

At present, my country has built the world's largest fixed broadband network, and all cities at the prefecture level and above in the country have achieved full coverage of fiber optic networks.

Data shows that the total number of fixed Internet broadband access users reached 514 million, a year-on-year increase of 9.9%. The number of rural broadband users nationwide increased by 10.75 million from the end of last year, reaching a total of 153 million, a year-on-year increase of 8.4%. The total number of fixed Internet broadband access users with access speeds of 100Mbps and above reached 472 million, accounting for 97.4% of the total number of fixed broadband users. The number of users with access speeds of 1000Mbps and above reached 16.04 million, accounting for 3.3% of the total number of fixed broadband users.

Broadband speed-up is a notable feature of the rapid development of the modern information society. Currently, gigabit broadband networks have entered large-scale commercial use, and basic telecommunications companies are accelerating the deployment of gigabit networks based on 10G PON technology.

According to OVUM statistics, 234 operators in 57 countries around the world have released gigabit broadband construction plans, committed to building a solid foundation for the digital transformation of the economy and society.

"Gigabit optical bandwidth includes home broadband and industrial and urban applications." Mao Qian pointed out that high-end and large-scale online games require high-bandwidth and low-latency access to ensure access, and gigabit optical bandwidth can improve it. Streaming social media has particularly high requirements for user interactivity. High-definition and high-fidelity audio and video interaction requires the network to have large bandwidth, low latency and high stability support. Gigabit network is the inevitable choice for the ultimate experience of streaming social media. Online education, home office, online conference, telemedicine, smart home, safe city, smart manufacturing and other applications all require a gigabit optical bandwidth platform to have a good user experience.

On March 24 this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice on the "Dual Gigabit" Network Coordinated Development Action Plan (2021-2023). Some people in the industry have suggested that 5G will replace home broadband. Mao Qian disagrees with this view. He said, "In fact, there is no replacement relationship between the two. The high-speed and flexible mobility of 5G and the stable, reliable and large bandwidth of home broadband are used in different scenarios. They can (and should) complement each other, develop in coordination, and go hand in hand. This is also the general trend."

"Fixed and mobile networks work together to complement each other's strengths." Mao Qian pointed out that the advantages of gigabit optical networks in indoor and complex environments, such as large transmission bandwidth, strong anti-interference, and microsecond-level connections, and the advantages of 5G networks, such as high flexibility, enhanced mobility, and large connections, should be brought into play. In the long run, the high-quality development of home broadband and the mutual cooperation of 5G will be the information technology foundation to support the innovation and prosperity of various industries. At the same time, PON technology can support the rapid deployment of 5G. "

"The fixed broadband access network is supported by 10G PON access technology, which can provide gigabit broadband access capabilities. However, when gigabit network coverage and applications are further upgraded, it is still somewhat powerless." Mao Qian believes that although gigabit broadband has been achieved, there is still a long way to go for future development.

10G broadband is coming soon

As people's living standards continue to improve and become more intelligent, online office/conference/work interaction, etc., have put forward more and higher requirements for the network environment, and 10G broadband is about to emerge. Mao Qian predicts that 10G broadband will be mainly deployed in campuses/enterprises/Internet cafes/key customers in the early stage, and will then develop into home broadband.

Overseas, Google proposed a plan to deploy 10G broadband in 2014; South Korea also proposed to promote 10G broadband services in 2018; Japan's NTT East/West launched 10G fiber-optic access services in early 2020, with download speeds of up to 1.25GB per second, and the services provided are symmetrical, with upstream and downstream bandwidth rates of 10Gbps, and a monthly fee of approximately RMB 380.

China has also made a lot of explorations and attempts in 10G broadband. In 2012, Jishi Media launched a complete solution for the overall solution of 10G fiber-to-the-home I-PON technology. In 2019, China Telecom, based on the full coverage of Shanghai's 1G broadband network, proposed to accelerate the progress of 10G optical networks in commercial buildings and industrial parks. At the same time, various technologies supporting 10G broadband are gradually maturing, and 10G broadband can be seen everywhere.