KCOM and Nokia to Deploy 10Gbps Capable FTTP Broadband by Late 2025 UPDATE

Hull-based broadband ISP KCOM, which has spent the past few years deploying a new full fibre (FTTP) network across 305,000 premises in parts of East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire (England), has today revealed that they’re working with Nokia to deploy their 10Gbps XGS-PON technology across the network and 25G PON in the future.

At present, much of KCOM’s existing full fibre network is still using older GPON technology, which places constraints on how much capacity can actually be delivered to each end user (i.e. GPON shares capacity of 2.48Gbps downstream and 1.24Gbps upstream between multiple users). This is partly why the provider’s recent move to introduce symmetric speeds ended up hitting a bit of a wall at uploads of 500Mbps (here).

The operator has, however, previously talked about upgrading to use 10Gbps capable XGS-PON technology, although until now they’ve been quite coy with sharing any details. But Phase One of the new Nokia deal, signed last week, should facilitate the roll-out of XGS-PON to “thousands of customers on KCOM’s network in Hull City Centre“.

According to KCOM, the adoption of Nokia’s Optical Line Terminals (OLT) and Altiplano platform will “facilitate symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 10Gbps” and “paves the way for 25G PON and new multi-gigabit services” to follow in the “future“.

Ian Shepherdson, KCOM’s Chief Technology Officer, said:

“This investment keeps Hull and East Yorkshire at the forefront of digital connectivity. It’s the first phase of a multi-year, multi-million pound investment in our fibre infrastructure. With rapid technological advancement now the norm, this upgrade means we’ll be ready for business customers or data-intensive households who want vastly increased speeds of 10Gbps – and even up to 25Gbps in the future. We’ve been pleased to partner with Nokia, who share our commitment to empowering customers with the connectivity they need.”

Paul Alexander, CEO UK and Ireland at Nokia, said:

“Designed with state-of-the-art technology, our solution will enable KCOM to future-proof its network and offer new services for applications that require massive bandwidth and low latency. With the ability to seamlessly evolve to 25G PON in the future, KCOM will be able to differentiate themselves from the competition and attract new customers who value speed, reliability, and quality.”

KCOM said the related upgrade works are now beginning, and it is “anticipated that the new speeds will be live for customers” by September 2025. At the time of writing, it’s unclear whether they mean this date in respect to the completion of Phase One, or deployment across their entire network (we’re checking and will report back shortly).

UPDATE 3:14pm

We’ve been informed of the following by a KCOM spokesperson: “Yes, it’s Phase 1 is set for release in September 2025, with subsequent phases planned to upgrade the entire network. These phases are currently in development, with details to be shared as planning progresses.”