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NETWORKS · COMPARISON

GPON vs XGS-PON: What Is the Difference?

GPON and XGS-PON are passive optical network standards that share one fiber between many premises. GPON delivers about 2.5 Gbps down and 1.25 Gbps up, shared across the users on a fiber. XGS-PON delivers 10 Gbps in both directions, which is what makes multi-gigabit and symmetrical broadband tiers practical. Both can run on the same fiber.

01

The Short Answer

Because the capacity is shared, the speed each customer sees depends on the network design and how busy it is. Operators selling multi-gigabit tiers use XGS-PON, and to prove those tiers they need test equipment at the edge of the network that can itself handle more than a gigabit.

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    GPON Mature and widely deployed for gigabit services.
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    XGS-PON Enables 2, 5 and 8 Gbps symmetrical tiers.
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    Upgrade path XGS-PON can be added alongside GPON on existing fiber.
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    Verification Test points need 2.5GbE or faster ports.
02

Why It Matters

Our FTTP FAQ covers full fiber, and our multi-gig internet FAQ explains testing faster tiers. See the fiber verification case study.