Rostelecom is testing 10Gbps-capable GPON (’10 GPON’) fiber broadband access in St Petersburg in partnership with Huawei, with a pilot launch of the technology scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. The telco said in a press release that end user internet access speeds of ‘3-5Gbps’ will be made possible, opening up new opportunities for businesses and city residents, improving the quality of existing services and supporting new services such as UHD video streaming, AR/VR online gaming, education and medical applications, combined with the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard for enhanced Wi-Fi coverage for homes and smart businesses.
Rostelecom’s North-west regional director Alexander Loginov noted: ‘In St Petersburg, our company has a well developed optical network, suitable for the introduction of 10 GPON. We do not need to upgrade the existing cable infrastructure, we only need to replace some of the equipment and home routers. The pilot will be in the Nevsky District, where we will offer subscribers whose homes are connected using optical technologies a comprehensive solution with the installation of equipment that supports Wi-Fi 6.’