Openreach Summarises New ONTs for UK FTTP Broadband Lines UPDATE2
Network access provider Openreach (BT) has published a new Suppliers Information Note (SIN) for their Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP lines, which provides an updated summary of all their old, existing and future Optical Network Terminal (ONT) modems that they’ve deployed or intent to deploy. Two new suppliers – Zyxel and Sercomm – are also mentioned.
The ONT or optical modem device is usually installed inside your home or office (wall hung), near to where the fibre optic cable physically enters your property, and its primary job is simply to take the optical signal and convert it into an electrical one that can be connected to your broadband router via a Local Area Network (Ethernet) port.
The standard ONT is usually a very small single port device, but Openreach also offer Multi-Port variants. Most of these have, thus far, been designed to cope with Openreach’s existing Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) based network. But the new SIN 506B document lists newer models, which will also work alongside their latest 10Gbps capable XGS-PON technology (the ‘X’ stands for 10, the ‘G’ for Gigabits’ and the ‘S’ for Symmetric speed).
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As we’ve previously reported (here), Openreach’s future XGS-PON trial appears to be gearing up to support symmetric speeds of up to 3.3Gbps (3,300Mbps), so it’s not surprising that they might need to support that with new ONTs from Nokia, Adtran, Sercomm (new supplier) and Zyxel (new supplier). But we should point out that most of the listed kit supports speeds of up to 1Gbps or 2.5Gbps (faster ONTs will come later). Check out the document for more details.
UPDATE 1:54pm
Thanks to one of our readers, nsmhd, for pointing out that the Nokia XS-010-X-Q and Adtran SDX-631 do support up to 10Gbps speeds. We didn’t spot that first time around because Openreach’s current document doesn’t include the full specifications for those two models.
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UPDATE 3rd July 2025 @ 5pm
Openreach has released an updated version of the 506B SIN document (v1.1), which addresses a couple of errors and has also now removed reference to the two XGS-PON based ONTs (Adtran SDX631 and Nokia XS-010X-Q) as they are not yet launched / covered by a SIN doc. But we know they’re coming now, and so will leave the original picture in place above.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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It would be great if Openreach specified the ONTs could be powered by POE as well as a power adapter.
That would be a great thing, indeed. Only one socket needed. An alternative would be to have the ONT built in the router – as in other markets.
@Jason, will be interesting to see if that happens or not.
It would be even better if Openreach provided an SFP ONT option as an alternative to the current ONTs.
Then any Router with a SFP port could be used with service.
Backfeeding from the router is a great idea and I’m genuinely surprised this hasn’t been looked into.
I’m powering my Gigaclear Adtran ONT with a POE to 12v & gigabit passthrough adaptor that is powered by my central 24 port switch. I’ve then got VLAN tags to that device and one other port, which passes the WAN traffic out and into my router, which is located elsewhere in the house. All other ports on the switch serve the LAN.
The ONT is in an Adtran enclosure that holds the POE adaptor and all cabling, so there is only the Adtran box visible on the wall and nothing else.
Not going to happen; it’s such a marginal use case – how many routers can provide POE power, in how many cases is it truly necessary to separate ONT and router that actually need power, extra support costs from dealing with POE issues, etc. Now think about all the costs to accept a POE input in addition / instead of a mains adapter, and multiply that up by all the people who DON’T need POE. If you know enough to know you need POE, just get a POE extractor setup and DIY.
POE would be a useful addition. It’s not always easy to locate the ONT adjacent to a plug socket.
@James Finnie the cost argument is rubbish. Mikrotik cAPL WiFi access point is under £30 and supports PoE as passive 24V as well as 802.3af/at There are lots of cases where powering the ONT using PoE is good. I would note that if the ONT could be powered using PoE perhaps more routers would come with PoE out options.
If nothing else, it means you can put some sort of battery backup on the router and now the ONT is covered too.
Yeah these do cost more than the regular ONTs. There’s a lot less demand for them, they’re nearly always environmentally hardened so are more expensive.
Adtran’s SDX631fh has this as use-case:
‘The SDX 631fh is the ideal ONT solution for a broad range of applications and installations including industrial facilities, connected cities/infrastructure, sports stadiums, schools, universities, hospitals/healthcare, commercial buildings, airports, shopping malls and more.’
Nokia it’s the XS-010XR-P. This is definitely more expensive. Looking at a vendor they list the XS-010X-Q Openreach are using at $198, obviously Openreach won’t be paying that, and the XS-010XR-P at $274. Nearly 40% price difference. Openreach would not be ordering tons of them so the gap between the two may grow even more depending on procurement.
Would a PoE ONT fed from a router make it more simple to provide a single point UPS solution for WiFi, phone and the incoming BB ? If the router also had one PoE output port, that could be booked up to a IP care alarm, one simple brick to back up the whole Comms setup……
PoE would be far more expensive and more complicated than what the industry is already doing.
The Vodafone/BT/Zen BBU comes with a y-cable to power both the ONT and the router. Good enough for the small number of customers that those ISPs have a duty of care towards. Ancillaries like telecare devices are the responsibility of the telecare manufacturer/operator.
Comparisons to WiFi access points don’t work because there are economies of scale through the fact that they are nearly always PoE powered. The demand is there. Niche forms of ONT are not. As someone has already said, use a PoE splitter if you absolutely must do it this way.
I’m guessing Openreach made their proof readers redundant?
The Nokia four port ONT only has one LAN port according to the new SIN & the Adtran four port does have four ports but they’ve used the image of a single port ONT on the information page (correct image on the summary page.
The Nokia G-010-T is also listed as having a yellow 1G eth port – when it’s orange and 2.5G.
The Nokia XS-010X-Q is also end of sale and has been replaced by a newer model that Alnets are using already.
Anon, it’s been replaced by the XS-010X-Q.
Old part number: 3FE49328AA
New part number: 3FE49328AC
The old part number is the EoS model. Both are the XS-010X-Q though. Openreach aren’t buying EoS kit, any of the older model are already purchased.
@Polish Poler – nope. The XS-010X-Q is EOS as Nokia had to move to a newer SOC from Cortina. You cannot get -Qs anywhere now UK or wider afield.
It has been replaced by the XS-010X-R, which you will find in several Altnets in the UK, this needs a different firmware for it, hence the change in the model code.
I’m getting fttp installed on Friday for the first time as they’ve just rolled it out in the area I live. Hopefully I get one of the new ONTs, although I’m only ordering a 300mbps service.
What difference does it make?
My ONT is on the wall behind the TV and apart from when I had a quick power cut that confused it, I have not had to bother with it.
The fibre goes in, the Ethernet cable come out to the router.
Does it matter what you get?
Ad47uk – it does matter actually, as I found out when I upgraded from 900 – 1.8Gbps. The old ONT’s won’t support beyond 1Gbps connections.
@Cognizant, sure if you are updating to a faster connection then yes you need something that can handle it, but James Smith said he was ordering a 300Mb/s connection.
I don’t understand people, maybe I am from a different generation, if things work then let it be, I am not one for having something better just because it is, even if I am not going to use the features. That is why I went for a cheapish router, it does the job. Granted I did pay a fair bit for an inkjet printer, which I really must start using
He decides he wants to go with a higher service he needs an engineer visit if he has the old ONT. I remember you being pretty funny about people coming into your home and that was part of your resistance to FTTP, Ad.
@James Smith: Very unlikely too get one of the new ONT’s especially when it’s a 300Mbps service. Sorry to disappoint.
@Polish Poler, granted they would have to get it replaced if they went for a higher speed service, but if they are thinking of doing that, then may as well start with it. If they are ordering a 300Mb/s connection now, then they must think they don’t need anything faster.
I realise that anything over 1Gig is not available everywhere yet.
Would love it if there was an option for a direct connection bypassing the need for an ont, there’s several routers out there that have sfp, would be great to have one device less required.
The problem with that is people may move it and break the fibre, if an ONT is on the wall, then it is not going to be moved, normally.
Would be OK if the network terminated in a Fibre optic wall socket allowing the customer to use a replaceable fly lead.
How are you proposing to terminate a PON using SFP?
@Big Dave, then they will complain that it is taking too long to get their broadband back up and running.
As it is now, it is easy and works, for the amount of people that would want an all-in-one router, it is not worth it.
My ONT is hidden behind my TV, the only thing that annoyed me was the length of the Ethernet cable they had between the original router and the ONT. But I put a longer cable on and used my own router.
The ONT is the demarcation point. When installed it’s registered to make PON work.
Agree. The SIN is garbage. The SIN should simply state the requirements for an ONT so we can buy and supply one much like a DSL modem. Demarcation point is the fibre termination in the premises just like DSL was.
@125us you terminate a PON using an ONT integrated into an SFP. All the major ONT manufacturers offer one in their lineup of ONT’s. Perhaps check next time before posing nonsense?
@125us for XGSPON from Adtran you use this:
SDX 630
Our SDX 630 XGS-PON SFP+ ONT fits seamlessly into existing customer premises equipment for any high-bandwidth application. The SFP+ ONT requires no external ONT. Part number 1287940F1.
For Nokia you use this:
XS-010S-Q
The Nokia uses the Cortina CA8271S chipset. The Adtran either the Cortina CA8271A or same as Nokia.
Can also get generic ones and reprogram such as https://www.fs.com/uk/products/185594.html or vendors from China.
@J Ignoring any support overheads once live that would require a lot of work on the part of Openreach to make that happen. Would need cooperation from the ISP too, or for Openreach to deal with customers directly as part of provisioning process.
They can’t simply replicate what was being done with FTTC because the two networks are very much not the same.
Even better, put the OLT (exchange) in the customers living room!
@PolishPoler not really. If ISPs can reset DLM and VLANs, they can set a MAC address. But what’s more it’s why PON isn’t really workable long term and should have just been dark fibre.
Yes, J.
Without identifying the owner of the ONT it’s impossible to know for sure who plugged it in and which VLAN needs to be used. Copper is point to point so you’re bound to your own port and the DSLAM can add details to PPP or DHCP to ID you, PON is not. Would need a captive portal and a way of authenticating you to authorise the ONT so that a provisioning system can add that ONT to the database and map it to the correct VLAN. Until that’s done you can’t reach your ISP.
As I said the networks are not the same.
What is the difference between the SDX611b and sdx611d
and how can you tell which is installed at a location
i expect one is just slightly newer than the other, you put them in a search engine and all you get is results for SDX611.
As for knowing what you have, the label on the bottom I expect.
Had my old ont box for over 9 years it finally gave up on us the hassle of getting a new one was stupid had to have engineer out when the was told that the ont box lights was flashing like a xmas tree to be told not our job we got to contact openreach for you a month later it got fixed but for someone with a disability this was not on and no offer of compensation as it was there fault as explained on first phone call
That is not good, hopefully things are better these days, they need to be.
You should have complained to the useless Ofcom thing
Would be great if I was able to even get decent internet speed, myself and my landlord/landowner have both done the wayleave for a infrastructure to be done, as the building i live in is a block of flats so it’s classed as a MDU. My whole street have all been upgraded whilst myself and 7 others are stuck on copper, we all have our own internet providers yet not one of them will chase OpenReach and there MDU team to sort this out.
I have made several complaints with OpenReach and my service provider and my landlord plus my local MP and still there is no update and this has been going on for 6 months.
I am getting so stressed as I can not work my 2nd job from home which is a priority job as all my clients are all over the UK and outside of the UK.
Please OpenReach can you sort this out. I would even pledge any cost it may cost
Frustrating but no-one can force Openreach to build to a street or a building. They’ll have the resources scheduled well in advance and the building will be slotted in when resources are available. If they become available sooner they might be able to do the work sooner.
Doing one sooner means doing others later unless the resources are idle. The order of build is there for a reason and interrupting it slows the overall build and costs more. They do the major build but after that any infill is as and when they’ve the resource, those resources are clearing up infill and doing the main build elsewhere.
Providers won’t chase Openreach as there’s nothing to chase them about. They can’t demand Openreach roll out FTTP somewhere. Complaints directly to Openreach won’t go anywhere unless Openreach have made an error. Not building to a small MDU when they did the main build isn’t an error, they often do MDUs later, especially if they had no wayleave during the main build.
Sucks but Openreach FTTP build is entirely at their discretion. Complaints if you think they missed you inadvertently are legit. Complaints after being told you aren’t planned yet aren’t a thing that’ll go anywhere most of the time.
Other suppliers? What’s your postcode?