SK Broadband announced last week (on the 17th) that it has developed Next Generation-Passive Optical Network 2 (NG-PON2) platform capable of offering up to 40 Gbps Internet speeds and aims to launch a pilot service to seamlessly serve customer traffic that is ever-increasing due to growing popularity of Giga Internet and UHD IPTV services.

High-speed Internet service providers have wired fiber-optic cables connecting their Central Offices (CO) and main Distribution Frames (MDF) in an apartment building, and have been using high performance Optical Network Units (ONU) located at MDFs to offer giga Internet service. NG-PON2 is designed to boost the data speeds between CO and ONU up to 40Gbps, ensuring seamless provision of 1G Internet service at customers' homes. Customers can enjoy 40G Internet service with installation of NG-PON2 Optical Network Termination (ONT).

The company already launched 2.5Gbps G-PON solution for the first time in Korea in 2006 when its competitors introduced 1Gbps solutions. Also in 2014, it presented the world's first 10Gbps E-PON-based 10G Internet service in the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. 

With the world best fiber Internet network technologically verified through the latest successful demonstration of NG PON2, the company will be ready to offer seamless, reliable and high-capacity high-quality services like 40G Internet (40 times faster regular giga Internet), UHD, VR/AR and Wi-Fi 802.11ac Wave2.

The NG-PON2 technology provides services by automatically selecting one of many wavelengths at section between Optical Line Termination (OLT) and ONU, and then allocating additional wavelengths depending on the volume of data being transferred or automatically turning into different wavelengths immediately when faults occur. This ensures seamless and uninterrupted service provision that is required to respond to this media-centered service trend of today. 

NG-PON2 technology, co-developed by SK Broadband and the SK Telecom Network Technology R&D Center, is based on the international standard of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). With the technology, 40 Gbps NG-PON2 (multi-wavelength 40G Internet solution) signals can be transmitted through a single fiber-optic cable.

SK Broadband has been providing the pilot service of the solution in some parts of Seoul since September for the first time in the world, and plans to commercialize the solution next year.

Yoo Ji-chang, Head of SK Broadband's Network Division, said  "Following the world's first commercialization of an ADSL service and the two-pair LAN cable 500M service, we will establish a top-class optical Internet platform to create the best Gigabit broadband service environment for our customers."