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Alternative broadband operator Netomnia, which is supported by retail internet providers YouFibre and Brsk, has today become the first UK network operator to go live with a commercial deployment of 50Gbps capable 50G-PON based Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology (real-world speeds of up to c.40Gbps are expected for homes and businesses).
Just to recap. The network access provider, which has already extended their full fibre network to reach 2.4 million UK premises (RFS) and 310,000 customers, currently aims to expand their network to reach 3 million premises by the end of 2025 and then 5 million by the end of 2027 (inc. 1 million customers by 2028). The service is currently available across parts of over 90 UK cities and towns.
The network technology they’ve been using for this infrastructure, XGS-PON (The ‘X’ stands for 10, the ‘G’ for Gigabits’, the ‘S’ for symmetric speed and PON means Passive Optical Network), is already capable of delivering symmetric speeds up to 10Gbps. Indeed, YouFibre already have a 7-8Gbps package for homes, which costs just £99.99 per month on an 18-month term with free installation.
However, Netomnia have made no secret of the fact that they’d also like to be the first UK broadband network to launch commercial packages using Adtran’s 50Gbps (50G-PON) kit (here), which was initially being targeted – somewhat ambitiously – for a launch by the end of 2024. But getting bleeding edge kit like this to market is no mean feat, and Adtran have previously acknowledged supply-side issues that have slowed progress (here).
The good news today is that Adtran appear to be getting a handle on the supply of their new SDX 6400 Optical Line Terminals (OLT) and associated services, which has enabled Netomnia to launch their first commercial 50G PON network and claim bragging rights in the process.
Jeremy Chelot, Group CEO of Netomnia, YouFibre and brsk, said:
“At Netomnia, we’re building a fibre network for whatever comes next — and with the UK’s first commercial 50G PON deployment, we’re proving it. This isn’t just about speed; it’s about power. From AI-driven smart homes to lag-free metaverse experiences and tomorrow’s enterprise demands, we’re making sure the most powerful internet lives on our network. Partnering with Adtran, we’re redefining what fibre can deliver — no compromises, no limits, just the future delivered.”
Stuart Broome, GM of EMEA sales at Adtran, said:
“We committed to Netomnia in 2024 that they would be the first provider in the UK to deploy a commercial 50G PON solution. Today, we achieved that milestone, helping them deliver a live ultra-high-speed service to an existing customer.
The deployment demonstrates how our SDX 6400 Series empowers operators to scale capacity, accelerate service delivery and support next-generation applications, all while leveraging their existing infrastructure. As demand surges for bandwidth-intensive services like generative AI, 5G backhaul and enterprise connectivity, this project shows how we’re helping partners like Netomnia stay ahead of the curve.”
Take note that a combination of issues like network overheads and advertising rules mean that this service, once live as a product, isn’t currently likely to be promoted as offering download speeds of greater 40Gbps. Not that anybody is going to complain about that, and there isn’t an independent web-based speedtest in existence that can currently give an accurate result for such a service, yet.
Naturally, going faster than 10Gbps will also require a new ONT (optical modem) to be installed in your home/office, as well as a monster router (details not yet known). But suffice to say that this is going to be more akin to premium business kit than something you could easily buy off Amazon. It’s not for everybody.
On the other hand, this isn’t just about those top speeds, and Netomnia will also be using 50G PON to underpin their existing network and speed tiers too. The fact it exists is impressive, although at the time of writing the announcement doesn’t make mention of any new consumer packages, but we know they’re coming and the 10Gbps+ era is now upon us.
The usual catch in all this is the difficulty of actually being able to harness all that speed when online. Most internet services still seem to struggle to harness more than 1Gbps (1000Mbps), assuming they can do even that, while the multi-gigabit domain remains a luxury product (Why Buying Gigabit Broadband Doesn’t Always Deliver 1Gbps). But technological evolution rarely waits for the slowest users.
Naturally, there will always be those who find reason to moan, even when a network provider does something as striking as this. But such developments are also the reason why Netomnia are one of the most exciting fixed broadband networks in the UK, which is in no small part down to their willingness to push the boundaries of technology – often while setting new benchmarks for consumer speeds and affordability.
However, Netomnia aren’t the only UK provider with plans to launch packages using 50G PON technology. Welsh ISP Ogi has expressed a similar desire for 2025 (here) and various other networks have trialled 50G-PON (examples here and here), albeit while giving few details about their own plans for a future commercial launch.