Broadcom launches new 50G PON chips for ISP networks

Broadcom Inc. Today debuted two chips to power the so-called PON infrastructure, which is used by Internet providers to provide connectivity to their subscribers.

Both processors include artificial intelligence features designed to make maintenance tasks easier.

PON, or passive optical network, is a type of optical network containing so-called passive beam splitters. These are optical elements that can capture a fragment of data sent over the network, create multiple copies and direct each copy to a different destination. Passive splitters do not use electricity, making them more cost-effective than some competing products.

An ISP’s PON network distributes data traffic to consumers’ homes in several stages. The first stop is a device called an OLT, which converts the electrical signals that transmit data into light. From there, the light travels along a fiber optic cable until it reaches what is called an ONU. It is a networking device placed near consumers’ homes that converts data back into electrical signals before transmitting it to users’ devices.

Broadcom’s two new chips are known as the BCM68660 and BCM55050. They are intended to power OLT and ONU devices, respectively.

Many current PON networks are based on a standard called GPON, which supports download speeds of up to 2.5 gigabits per second. Some operators also use XGS-PON, a newer technology that is four times faster. Two Broadcom chips support both standards as well as 50G PON, an even faster technology that is 40 times faster than GPON.

The BCM68660 and BCM55050 also share several other features. Both chips rely on a seven-nanometer manufacturing process and include a neural processing unit optimized for running artificial intelligence models. According to Broadcom, ISPs can use the latter module to run algorithms that automate tasks such as network repair issues.

The BCM68660, the first new chip the company debuted today, features five quad-core CPUs. All five chips are based on Arm Holdings plc’s ubiquitous instruction set architecture. The processors power 56 network interfaces to process data traffic, eight of which support the high-speed 50G PON standard.

The BCM55050, another new chip from Broadcom, features a simple design. It combines a dual-core processor with a number of specialized compute modules, most notably a 50G network processor optimized for data traffic management. ISPs can deploy it together with the BCM68660 in their networks.

“By delivering enormous cost and energy savings, Broadcom’s 50G PON solution enables telecom operators around the world to future-proof their networks and cost-effectively deploy 50G fiber broadband to support next-generation applications,” said Rich Nelson, senior vice president and general manager of Broadcom. Broadcom’s Broadband Video Group.

The company is currently sampling new chips from early customers.

Photo: Broadcom