Vodafone and Nokia touted a joint British effort based on passive optical network (PON) technology to keep existing fiber broadband networks running into the next decade.

A trial at Vodafone’s Newbury laboratory in the U.K. validated that a 50 gigabit per second (Gb/s) PON architecture can operate alongside more widely available PON technologies including gigabit passive optical network (GPON) and 10-gigabit symmetrical passive optical network (XGS-PON). Vodafone did not name what equipment it used, but it could be from the Nokia Lightspan OLT (optical line terminals) range.

According to Vodafone, this multi-PON approach allows it to scale capacity more efficiently, as upgrades can be limited to interface cards and ports at the fiber access node rather than requiring replacement of larger equipment such as shelves or chassis. It also avoids changes to the fiber connections already serving homes and businesses, potentially keeping those lines effective beyond 2030.

The project also validated advanced synchronization for mobile backhaul, helping base stations carry customer traffic in sync to reduce latency and signal jitter over both 50G PON and 25G PON. Vodafone and Nokia demonstrated phase synchronization using Telecom Boundary Clock (T-BC), which coordinates timing across network equipment, alongside Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), while maintaining high-capacity, high-performance connectivity.

“This successful trial shows we can future-proof our existing fiber broadband network, whether it's AI agents and machines conversing or people using immersive applications. It also allows us to target upgrades where they are needed most, increasing capacity at lower cost, and focus on improving customer experience,” said Gavin Young, head of fixed access networks at Vodafone.

Vodafone plans further multi-PON testing, including live deployments across its pan-European fiber network, during 2026 and 2027, with continued work on network quality, reliability, and automation.