Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has introduced a new line card that supports GPON, 10G, 25G, and 50G passive optical network (PON) technologies on every port, allowing network operators to run multiple fiber generations simultaneously without replacing hardware.

The product is built on Nokia's in-house Quillion chip and optical PON modules. According to the company, earlier line cards restricted operators to a narrower set of PON technologies, requiring advance capacity commitments or additional hardware as demand changed. The new multi-PON line card allows operators to add or change PON generations on the same port and fiber over time.

Nokia said the line card also offers up to four times lower upstream latency, quantum-safe encryption and authentication, and end-to-end network resilience with no single point of failure.

"The future of broadband is becoming harder to predict," said Maryam Chaudry, SVP and GM of Fixed Networks at Nokia. "With our new line card, operators do not have to bet everything on a single path. They can deploy the PON technology their market needs now; add additional technologies on the same port and same fiber as the need arises; and easily mix and match PON generations to capture multiple revenue streams."

Jeff Heynen, vice president of Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell'Oro Group, said Nokia's approach gives operators "a practical, lower-risk path to evolve their fiber networks as demand develops."