By Oystein Bergmann, Bureau Chief, Scandinavia

Nokia has just announced the launch of a new in-wall ONT for enterprise optical LAN connectivity. The new product delivers gigabit speeds to provide a reliable, fast, and secure broadband connection inside offices, hotels, hospitals, schools, and other enterprise segments.

The Nokia ONT is part of Nokia’s comprehensive Optical LAN portfolio designed to help enterprises meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) objectives. 

With demand for gigabit services, IoT, and file sharing applications growing, enterprises need to establish a local area network (LAN) that can meet and stay ahead of evolving demands. Delivering a fraction of the complexity, space, energy, and costs of a traditional copper-based LAN, Optical LAN leverages fiber optic cables to provide a future-proof, high-capacity network alternative for in-building and campus connectivity that can help reduce energy costs by roughly 40 per cent.   

Nokia’s new ONT can help enterprises effectively extend the reach of their Optical LAN network to deliver more data capacity to employees using video, voice and data intense applications over the network. The ONT can power additional endpoint devices such as access points or cameras and can be securely mounted in the wall to help save space and reduce the chances for damage or theft. The new Nokia ONT for Optical LAN will be available in 2Q 2024. 

General Manager of Broadband Networks at Nokia, Geert Heyninck said: “Optical LAN is the right technology for enterprise connectivity today and in the future. Today, we have more than 600 customers, including hospitality, healthcare, airports, and universities, that are deploying it with great success, and the number continues to grow. Helping to reduce TCO by as much as 50 per cent, Optical LAN provides enterprises with significant operational and sustainable benefits that collectively can help reduce the energy and CO2 emissions of the IT networks they run.”

Chief Analyst, Broadband Access Intelligence Service at Omdia, Julie Kunstler said: “Optical LAN simply makes sense for enterprises. It´s environmentally sustainable, using passive components while reducing energy-consuming network elements. Furthermore, fiber-based LANs are adaptable, a key requirement in an ever-changing world. An Optical LAN will provide a future-proof LAN solution for years to come.”