Path to Very High Speed PON: Requirements, Components, and Solutions

Path to Very High Speed PON: Requirements, Components, and Solutions

Description: 

The passive optical network has been the workhorse of broadband access for four decades, evolving from A/B-PON through G-PON, XG(S)-PON, and now 50G-PON. With 50G-PON being standardized in ITU-T G.9804, the industry is paying attention to Very High Speed PON (VHSP). The first VHSP Supplement, ITU-T G Suppl. 88, was agreed by ITU-T in October 2025, describing potential system requirements and candidate technologies for PON systems above 50 Gbit/s per wavelength, including general architecture, system requirements, and candidate VHSP technologies. ITU-T is continuing to evaluate candidate technologies for next-generation PON systems, with Q2/15 actively updating modulation formats and single-wavelength transceiver configurations for VHSP. This provides the background and starting point for the workshop.

However, the path from 50G-PON to VHSP is far from settled, and the central open question is technology path selection. The workshop will examine these open issues through several intertwined dimensions: VHSP requirements and standardization status; rate targets such as 100 Gb/s and 200 Gb/s, and technology choices among IM-DD, coherent detection, and hybrid alternatives; and wavelength plans including O-band, E-band, and C-band, together with coexistence scenarios with GPON, XGS-PON, and 50G-PON. The discussion will span requirements, standardization, component maturity, and system architecture without presupposing specific technical conclusions.

This workshop will bring together proponents of hybrid, IMDD-only, and coherent-only solutions to create a lively and technically substantive debate. Rather than surveying broad trends, the discussion will focus on the critical decisions (i.e., requirements, standardization, component readiness, and architecture) that will shape VHSP over the next 2–3 years. Through invited talks and panel discussions, the workshop aims to foster dialogue among different technology paths and provide a platform for exchange across VHSP research, standardization, and industrial deployment.

Time: TBD

Venue: TBD

Organizers:

Chair: Yixiao Zhu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Co-Chair: Luyao Huang, China Telecom Research Institute

Co-Chair: Zhaopeng Xu, Pengcheng Laboratory

Speakers:

TBD