The evolution towards 4G, 4.x and 5G networks will introduce new demands on transport networks. The telecommunications industry agrees that future mobile evolutions are increasingly dependent on the availability of cost effective and geographically widespread backhaul solutions.
Passive optical networks for FTTH will become a very popular technology for Ethernet fronthaul and backhaul thanks to the cost-effectiveness of sharing the installed base of fiber infrastructure. Next generation PON with 10 Gbps (or even 40 Gbps) and low latency configurations will be vital for supporting the necessary levels of coverage, capacity and latency required by 5G.
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