ZTE and Antel validate 50G PON technology in Latin America

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Vendors; 14 September 2026; 3230 views

ZTE and Uruguay's Antel have completed what they describe as the first validation of symmetric 50G PON technology in Latin America, demonstrating the coexistence of GPON, 10G PON and 50G PON on the same access network.

PON, or passive optical network, is a fibre access technology used to deliver broadband from an operator's network to homes and businesses. Unlike GPON and 10G PON, which offer downstream speeds of up to around 2.5Gbps and 10Gbps respectively, 50G PON is designed to provide much higher capacity, with symmetric technology supporting up to 50Gbps in both directions. This can increase available bandwidth while reducing the need to deploy new fibre to support faster services.

The validation, conducted during the Antel Summit 2026 in Montevideo, tested 50G PON alongside Antel's existing GPON and 10G PON services. ZTE said the results demonstrated that the three generations can coexist, allowing the operator to introduce 50G PON without replacing its existing access network.

This could give Antel a gradual upgrade path as demand for bandwidth increases. Rather than replacing GPON and 10G PON infrastructure immediately, the operator can continue supporting existing customers while deploying 50G PON where higher capacity is required. This could help extend the useful life of existing fibre investments while allowing Antel to offer faster services to homes, businesses and other customers.

For ZTE, the validation provides a reference deployment for 50G PON in Latin America as operators across the region consider how to increase fixed broadband capacity. Demonstrating that the technology can coexist with previous generations is particularly relevant in markets where operators have large installed fibre networks and need to upgrade them incrementally.

Antel is Uruguay's largest telecoms operator and has built an extensive national fibre network. The operator is seeking to increase network capacity as broadband traffic grows and as fibre networks are increasingly used for services beyond conventional home internet, including enterprise connectivity, cloud applications and mobile backhaul.