stc and Huawei accomplish the first 50G PON live trial in the Middle East

[Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 2, 2023] stc (The Saudi Telecom Company) Group, the regional digital champion, has announced the completion of the first 50G PON (Passive Optical Network) trial in the Middle East on a live optical network in partnership with Huawei. 50G PON is the latest in broadband technology offering both consumers and businesses upgraded and secure broadband usage.

The live trial comes at a pivotal time as stc continues to invest in technological innovation to deliver world-class connectivity. It is the latest milestone in the long-term joint innovation between stc and Huawei.

The industry has quickly moved towards broadband networks adopting all-optical access to increase data security and reliability, predominately through the implementation of the mainstream technology, GPON/10G PON. In recent years, the rapid development of various new services, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), has promoted the evolution of optical access technologies. Currently, 50G PON ^[1]  is considered the next-generation PON technology across the industry, including operators and equipment vendors.

Bader Allhieb, Infrastructure VP of stc Group, said: “As a digital champion in the Middle East, stc has been active in adopting the industry’s leading technology solutions to drive digital transformation regionally. In partnership with Huawei, we are now laying the foundations for the next-generation of connectivity via 50G PON, ensuring we continue to improve user experience and accelerate digital transformation with leading networks.”

Feng Zhishan, President of Optical Access Network Product Line at Huawei, said, “Huawei will leverage its continuous R&D investment in 50G PON technologies to help stc Group build advanced optical access networks, provide premium network connections for homes and enterprises, and lead the industry development.”

The 50G PON technology and service verification completed by the stc Group and Huawei is based on the existing access platform and wavelength specifications that comply with industry standards. The service can coexist with the 10G PON on stc’s live optical network, proving its stable high rate and low latency. This signifies a seamless evolution of the PON network, laying solid foundations for large-scale deployment of 50G PON in the future. This verification test is a key step in leading the way to the next generation of the industry and joint technology innovation.