PRESS RELEASE: ZTE Corporation has announced that it has released the prototype of the first Optical Network Unit (ONU) in the industry to support both 50-Gigabit-Capable Passive Optical Networking (50G PON) and Wi-Fi 7 technologies at the FTTH Conference 2022 in Vienna, Austria.

The new ONU with the model number ZXHN F9746Q is another achievement made by ZTE in the 50G PON field following its launch of the industry’s first precise 50G PON prototype during this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. While further improving ZTE’s end-to-end 50G PON product portfolio, the ONU testifies to the company’s innovation capability and leadership position in fixed-network products.

The ZXHN F9746Q ONU uses asymmetric 50G PON technology at the network side, with the receive rate reaching 50 Gbps and the transmit rate hitting 25 Gbps. At the user side, the ONU provides a 50G Ethernet optical port to meet the high-speed access requirements of small- and medium-sized enterprises. To better utilize the capabilities of the 50G PON network, the ONU is also equipped with a MediaTek Filogic Wi-Fi 7 chipset. As a result, it provides four spatial streams in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands respectively, enabling a maximum theoretical rate of 19 Gbps and a four-fold increase in connections compared with ONUs supporting only the Wi-Fi 6 standard.

Bolstered with these capabilities, the ZXHN F9746Q ONU can better provide the high-bandwidth, multi-device connectivity needed by the home and enterprise scenarios of the future. By incorporating MediaTek’s proprietary Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and Xtra Range technologies, the ONU vastly improves the user experiences of high-bandwidth services from a relatively long distance. A metal casing allows the ONU to better dissipate heat while running high-speed applications, thereby enhancing the reliability of the device.

50G PON is a next-generation PON technology that supports a multitude of application scenarios. In addition to providing ultra-broadband access for homes, 50G PON offers the high bandwidth, low latency, low jitter, and accurate clock synchronization required by innovative services like 5G, Cloud VR, telemedicine, and smart manufacturing.

The release of the 50G PON+Wi-Fi 7 ONU prototype by ZTE will advance the development of innovative services and accelerate the arrival of the Internet of Everything era.

ZTE’s Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) products have been deployed by over 270 operators in more than 100 countries. As an industry leader, ZTE is committed to technological innovation so as to provide customers with better products and services.