Starman deploys 10G EPON in Estonia

Starman, the largest cable operator in the Baltic States, will deploy a nationwide broadband network based on 10G EPON across Estonia. Nokia, which will supply the 10G EPON equipment, says the deployment will create the first nationwide 10G EPON network in Europe.

The cable operator will use the new fiber-optic broadband network to support delivery of triple-play services as video demands shift from broadcast TV to on-demand viewing and Internet traffic growth in Estonia approaches 50% annually. The brownfield roll out will begin in the fourth quarter of this year and will enable Starman to offer symmetrical 1-Gbps services initially, with a pathway to as much as 10 Gbps.

The 10G EPON infrastructure will be based on DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON (DPoE), a mechanism developed by CableLabs of the U.S. to make EPON technology compatible with cable operators' existing DOCSIS management systems (see "CableLabs qualifies first set of DPoE hardware").

"After careful consideration of the different technology options, we determined that Nokia's 10-gigabit fiber network would allow us to deliver the best service and end-user experience to our customers. We chose Nokia because of their unique ability to provide both the latest technology innovations and expertise from their top specialists," said Starman Group Technology Director Jaanus Erlemann.

"When investing in the Internet services we bring to our customers' home, ensuring the technology is future-proof is essential. Today we are choosing solutions that can allow for symmetrical connections greater than 1 Gbps, enabling us to skip some current technological developments and take a seat on the new high-speed 10G train," Erlemann added.

Those "current technological developments" include DOCSIS 3.1, a technology that also can support 10 Gbps downstream, but only 1 to 2 Gbps upstream in its current incarnation (see "CableLabs releases DOCSIS 3.1 chip specifications"). Nokia says that Starman is an example of a trend in which at least some cable operators are skipping DOCSIS 3.1 and going with a fiber to the home (FTTH) approach to ensure the ability to support symmetrical high-speed services in the near-term.

Nokia did not reveal which systems it will supply. However, Alcatel-Lucent unveiled the FX-12, a 10G EPON platform with DPoE capabilities, last year before Nokia's acquisition of the company closed (see "Alcatel-Lucent FX-12 addresses 10G EPON interest").

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