Calix said it demonstrated channel bonding of next-generation passive-optical network two (NG-PON2) technology over fiber using its network operating system and software platform.

The in-house trial was conducted at the request of Verizon and said to deliver aggregate bandwidth up to 80 Gb/s over a single fiber strand. The trial was developed and completed in 12 days.

Calix said it used its software platform that sits in the software-defined networking (SDN) environment to leverage channel bonding.

Geoff Burke, senior director of corporate marketing at Calix, said the channel bonding was part of an "extended data model" that takes a subscriber request, orchestrates bandwidth needs, and associates the service with a port.

"However, in this case we’ve made the system aware that an object can consist of bonding multiple ports," Burke explained. "This translates into an expanded service definition in the orchestrator that is handed down to the controller where the virtual OLT is, and is then pushed down into the Calix [platform] at the physical level to combine the ports."

Burke noted the technology specific to the latest trial has been deployed in other carrier networks, but has not been commercially deployed as a platform.

Calix last month introduced a virtualized network function (VNF) specific to the cable industry. The connector is designed to allow cable operators to migrate to SDN.

Burke said the company’s latest work with Verizon was directly related to the carrier’s recently signed fiber deals with Corning and Prysmian Group valued at more than $1.3 billion. Verizon management has cited its fiber investments as core to support for its 5G network plans.

“We believe channel bonding holds the potential to more than double the bandwidth to individual subscribers or network locations and anticipate it could be a means of moving from 10 Gb/s to 20 Gb/s and beyond without deploying new technologies,” said Vincent O’Byrne, director of access technology at Verizon, connected with the latest Calix news.

Verizon earlier this year said it completed an interoperability trial of NG-PON technology at its lab in Massachusetts. Vendors involved in the trial included Adtran, Broadcom, Cortina Access, and Ericsson in partnership with Calix.

Verizon used its open optical network terminal management and control interface specifications for the trial, which the carrier said it plans to share with the industry.

Verizon has been slowly building efforts around network virtualization capabilities, including internal efforts and work outside the organization with various vendors and trade groups.