Nokia, Centranet trial brings 50G PON to rural Oklahoma tribal nation

Electrical cooperative Centranet has deployed Nokia technology to become the first company to demonstrate a 50Gbps fibre internet connection for a tribal nation in Oklahoma.

The live commercial trial, using Nokia’s Lightspan fibre solution, is said to have allowed Centranet to connect a pilot member of the Sac and Fox nation to one of the fastest residential internet speeds available globally, let alone in the US.

The deployment is also the first live commercial trial of 50G passive optical network (PON) technology in a tribal nation, and Nokia believes that it shows how its fibre access platform can be used to provide future-proof broadband access to communities of all sizes and densities, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering world-class broadband technology to historically underserved regions.

Randle Carter, principal chief of the Sac and Fox Nation, said: “We pursued this grant to enhance the availability and the viability for our tribal members to access fibre optic opportunities, not just now, but in the future.”

Using the Lightspan MF fibre solution, Centranet said that it can provide current subscribers with multi-gigabit speeds today, along with future 50G PON services needed for online education, telehealth and digital services essential in the modern era. The trial is also claimed to demonstrate the operator’s commitment to “ensuring equitable access to reliable, high-speed internet for all”.

“We are deeply committed to investing in the future the communities we serve. Centranet has deployed 3,300 miles of fibre in north-central Oklahoma in the past three years,” said Mark Prather, Centranet president of fibre and technology.

“Bringing high-speed broadband to the Sac and Fox Nation, as well as other tribes and underserved areas has been a priority for us. This project is about more than just technology – it’s about ensuring that everyone in our community has the tools and opportunities they need to thrive in today’s digital world.”

Mark Klimek, vice- president of North American business centre for Nokia, said: “Our fibre platform supports a full range of PON technologies, allowing them to be mixed and matched on the same platform to deliver ultra-fast, reliable internet services over a single fibre. This is critical for those who want to future-proof their fibre network and gain the flexibility to address evolving network demands.

“By partnering with Centranet, we are ensuring that every community, especially those who have been underserved for far too long, can access the opportunities that cutting-edge technology provides, now and for generations to come.”

As it was making the deployment with Centranet, Nokia announced that it had expanded its partnership and Furukawa Electric LatAm to bring solutions in datacentre automation to Brazil.

Partners since 2022, the two are continuing their programme to offer advanced passive optical network technologies to the Latin American business market. Nokia’s solution includes datacentre switching platforms, running the Nokia SR Linux Network Operating System and managed by the Nokia Event-Driven Automation (EDA) datacentre network automation platform.