XGPON

XG-PON stands for 10 Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network, a family of ITU-T standards developed to extend the capacity of GPON networks. It is designed to provide higher bandwidth for fiber-to-the-home and business services while using the same basic PON architecture, with an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) at the service provider and Optical Network Units (ONUs) at the customer premises connected through a passive splitter and fiber.

Technically, XG-PON offers higher downstream and upstream data rates than GPON, typically around 10 Gbps downstream and 2.5 Gbps upstream per PON port. The standard emphasizes efficient use of the shared optical medium through time-division multiplexing and dynamic bandwidth allocation, along with improvements in reach, quality of service, and forward error correction. It also defines mechanisms to support migration from GPON and coexistence on the same fiber where possible, aiding operator transition paths.

There are several specifications within the XG-PON family, notably XG-PON1 (ITU-T G.987.1) and XG-PON2 (ITU-T G.987.2). These specifications establish the framework for delivering higher bandwidth over a PON while maintaining compatibility with existing optical distribution networks. In practice, operators may complement XG-PON deployments with related TWDM-PON or NG-PON technologies to achieve greater aggregate capacity and more flexible topologies.

Applications center on residential and business broadband services, enabling Ethernet-oriented services, multimedia, and other high-bandwidth offerings over a passive optical access network.