10-gigabit network opens vast possibilities

Editor's Note: The 10-gigabit optical network is a strategic infrastructure and one of the key engines turning China into a cyber powerhouse. Zhang Chengliang, head of the China Telecom Research Institute, told Oriental Outlook magazine that the network is laying the foundation for the digital development and driving intelligent transformation across industries. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

The 10-gigabit optical network has a bandwidth capacity of 10Gbps, which is ten times greater compared with current gigabit networks. Its core technology, 50G-PON(Passive Optical Network), has pushed single-fiber capacity beyond 100Tbps and reduced latency to the microsecond level. The domestic production rate of China's 50G-PON technology has reached over 90 percent overall, with some manufacturers achieving full localization. This demonstrates China's capability in mastering key technologies.

As network capabilities continue to advance, the integration of AI, big data, large models and networks is accelerating, leading to a surge in demand for 10-gigabit access and intelligent application scenarios. The 10-gigabit optical network supports cutting-edge applications such as 8/16k ultra-high-definition video and holographic communications, opening up vast new possibilities in consumer-facing scenarios.

China's 10-gigabit optical network is moving from technical pilots to accelerated commercialization, supported by strong national policies, a maturing industry chain, and proactive efforts by telecom operators to expand deployment and application scenarios.

The upgrade momentum of the 10-gigabit optical network is driven by the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence. In terms of application scenarios, gigabit networks are primarily used to support 4K video, high-definition livestreaming and smart home services. But the 10-gigabit optical network meets the stringent requirements of AI applications for massive connectivity, high data throughput, and real-time interaction. It enables emerging applications such as multichannel 8K video, glasses-free 3D, ultrafast cloud gaming, whole-home 4K body-tracking surveillance and industrial automated optical inspection.

Deployment of the 10-gigabit optical network is focused on three major segments. The first is the"10-gigabit community", which promotes home digital upgrades through services such as cloud storage, cloud PCs, cloud gaming, ultra-HD video, glasses-free 3D and smart healthcare. The second is the"10-gigabit factory", which underpins low-latency and highly reliable applications such as automated optical inspection, production monitoring and industrial safety, thereby driving industrial digital transformation. The third is the "10-gigabit campus", which leverages full-scale 50G-PON access and Wi-Fi 7 high-density coverage to support diverse applications across classrooms, libraries, student dormitories and research laboratories.

However, for large-scale deployment of the 10-gigabit optical network three key challenges need to be overcome: technical feasibility, commercial sustainability and social acceptance. China has already solved the technological challenge of multi-generation coexistence in time-division multiplexing, significantly reducing commercial costs. The biggest challenge now is cultivating mature application demand.

Compared with gigabit networks, China's 10-gigabit optical network has seen earlier policy intervention, which will inevitably accelerate the maturity of the industry chain and its large-scale commercial deployment. By 2030, the proportion of 10-gigabit users in China may exceed 20 percent. In other words, the 10-gigabit optical network will see rapid growth over the next five years.

Going by the development trajectory of PON technologies, a new generation of optical access typically emerges every seven to eight years, with system capacity increasing four to five times. It is expected that the next generation of optical access technology will be commercially available around 2033. By then, the supported application scenarios will advance from today's 10-gigabit services, such as 8K video streaming, cloud gaming, augmented reality and virtual reality, toward immersive and ultra-reliable use cases including holographic communications, the metaverse, large-scale robot collaboration, and ultrahigh-precision industrial controls.