Industry leaders from Ericsson, Nokia, and Semtech recently discussed why mobile optical standardization is critical for building networks in the Artificial Intelligence (Ai) era. The webinar, "Racing to 6G: Why Optical Standardization Matters Now," revealed urgent challenges facing the telecommunications infrastructure.
The mobile industry stands at an inflection point. As 5G subscriptions surpass 2.9 billion globally and data traffic grows 20% year-over-year, the infrastructure underpinning these networks faces unprecedented demands. In a recent webinar sponsored by Nokia, Ericsson, and Semtech, leaders from the Mobile Optical Pluggables Alliance (MOPA) shared their vision for why optical standardization isn't just important — it's urgent. This growth has transformed mobile networks from consumer conveniences into essential pillars of modern society.
Here are the key insights from the webinar
The Stakes Have Never Been Higher
Mobile networks have become a critical infrastructure for society. Per Beming, vice president for standard and industry initiatives at Ericsson, emphasized, "These networks now serve far more than smartphone users. Enterprise applications, satellite communications, mission-critical services, and increasingly, AI traffic all depend on mobile connectivity."
The numbers behind this transformation tell a compelling story. Monthly global mobile network data traffic has reached 180 exabytes (EB), with projections showing it will more than double to 482 EB per month by 2031. Perhaps more significantly, 5G networks will handle 83% of all mobile data traffic by the end of the decade, up from 43% today. This massive shift puts enormous pressure on every component of network infrastructure, particularly the optical transport layer that connects it all together.
The Hidden Challenge: Connecting the Edge
While much attention focuses on spectrum allocation and radio technology advancements, the webinar highlighted an often-overlooked bottleneck lurking in plain sight: the optical connections linking antenna sites to the network core. These connections, known as fronthaul and midhaul links, represent a critical yet frequently underestimated piece of the 5G puzzle.
As Beming illustrated with an analogy to international electrical plug adapters, "Arriving at a site with the wrong pluggable isn't a viable option. The industry needs harmonization to avoid a fragmented ecosystem where different vendors require different optical solutions".
The challenge is compounded by the unique requirements of mobile networks versus data centers. Mobile sites face outdoor deployments with extreme temperature ranges, remote locations that are difficult to access, requirements for small form factors and long operational lifespans, and stringent timing synchronization requirements.
MOPA's Role: Creating a Common Language
Recognizing these challenges, MOPA was formed to bridge the gap between mobile network requirements and optical component development. Stefan Dahlfort, president of MOPA and principal researcher at Ericsson, outlined how the alliance brings together leading Radio Access Network (RAN) vendors, Integrated Circuit (IC) suppliers and pluggable manufacturers to publish technical papers describing optical solutions or "blueprints" for mobile transport.
These blueprints provide concrete specifications that vendors can reference during product development. Currently at version 3.2, MOPA's technical papers cover 19 blueprints with 2-4 data rate variants each, addressing fronthaul, backhaul, and other network segments. The alliance also works closely with an Operator Advisory Board that includes Orange, Verizon, NTT, Telia, Telefonica, T-Mobile, BT, and SK Telecom.
Key achievements include establishing frameworks for tight timing synchronization impact from optical pluggables, creating industry awareness for mobile-specific requirements, and liaising with standards bodies including International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), ensuring that technical specifications align with real-world operational requirements and deployment realities.
The 6G Horizon: Planning for 2030 and Beyond
While 5G deployments continue to accelerate, industry leaders are already looking toward the next generation. This forward-thinking approach isn't premature, it's essential given the long development cycles involved in both network planning and semiconductor design. Andrew Bender, Fixed Network's chief technology officer (CTO) at Nokia's Network Infrastructure Group, presented analysis showing 2029-2030 marks the point when existing spectrum portfolios will be fully utilized, meaning standardization work must happen now.
New applications driving this demand include Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), which is expected to serve 1.4 billion people by 2031:
- Immersive experiences and XR devices
- Integrated Communication and Sensing (ISAC)
- AI and edge computing applications
These diverse use cases translate directly into optical transport requirements. For mobile transport networks, this translates to a progression from today's 25G connections to 50G, then 100G, and potentially 400G or 800G for aggregated traffic at hub sites. Fronthaul connections supporting advanced massive MIMO configurations may require 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) with end-to-end latencies below 200 microseconds, demanding optical solutions.
The Semiconductor Perspective: Why Standards Enable Innovation
This urgency resonates deeply with component manufacturers who face their own challenging development timelines. Raza Khan, director of marketing for Semtech's Signal Integrity and MOPA's chief marketing officer, offered a critical perspective on why standardization matters for IC development.
"Semiconductor companies like Semtech must plan chip development three years in advance, with significant R&D investment at stake," Khan explained. "Without clear requirements from standards bodies and industry alliances, IC vendors risk developing products that don't meet market needs—or arriving too late to capture market opportunities."
This three-year development window creates a delicate balancing act. Commit too early based on unclear requirements, and you risk building the wrong product. Wait too long for perfect clarity, and competitors capture the market while you're still in development. Industry alliances like MOPA help resolve this dilemma by providing earlier visibility into requirements with greater confidence.
Analog Foundation for Mobile Optical
This forward-looking approach directly shapes Semtech's product development strategy, particularly in the optical components that form the backbone of 5G and future 6G networks. Semtech focuses on three fundamental building blocks in mobile optical pluggables: Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) products, laser drivers, and Transimpedance Amplifiers (TIAs). These components might sound routine, but they're critical for mobile applications. They maintain signal integrity over varying fiber lengths and environmental conditions, enable precise timing alignment required for coordinated multipoint transmission, and achieve the stringent jitter and noise performance required in fronthaul and midhaul applications where radio coordination depends on sub-microsecond timing accuracy.
Tri-Edge Platform: Optimized for Low-Latency Transport
Building on this analog foundation, Semtech's Tri-Edge™ platform delivers ultra-low latency and minimal latency variation which is essential for meeting tight synchronization requirements such as those defined for 5G and future 6G transport. Tri-Edge minimizes deterministic and random latency components. This helps operators maintain phase and time alignment across large numbers of radios and sectors.
Performance doesn't come at the expense of practicality. The platform is engineered for low-power consumption and high integration, supporting thermally constrained, high-density deployments at the edge. These pluggables must operate reliably over extended temperature ranges (typically -40°C to +85°C) and long lifecycles without compromising performance. These practical considerations often separate products designed for mobile deployments from those optimized purely for data center environments.
Looking Ahead: The Next Frontiers
As the panel discussion concluded, speakers identified several areas requiring continued industry attention and collaboration. These challenges will shape the next phase of MOPA's work and the broader industry roadmap.
Data rate evolution remains constant, with bandwidth requirements doubling roughly every three to four years. Meeting these needs while maintaining small form factors and cost efficiency presents ongoing challenges
Power consumption is increasingly critical. As Khan noted, "Saving picojoules per bit on connectivity enables more compute capacity elsewhere in the system — a crucial consideration as AI moves to the edge".
Coherent technology is gaining interest for longer-reach applications. Solutions like 100G ZR-lite could address 40- to 80-kilometer links where current solutions become limited
Diagnostics and telemetry will become essential for managing millions of deployed optical ports.
The Bottom Line
As the industry races toward 6G, the webinar made clear that optical standardization isn't a peripheral concern — it's foundational. Without coordinated efforts like MOPA, operators face greater risks of deploying solutions that aren't optimized for total cost of ownership or future evolution.
Without coordinated efforts like MOPA, operators face fragmented ecosystems with unpredictable costs and limited interoperability. Component vendors face unclear requirements and market uncertainty. The result would be delayed deployments, higher costs, and networks ill-suited for emerging applications.
The message from all speakers was consistent: the time to prepare for 6G transport requirements is now. With first commercial 6G deployments expected in 2030-2031, the standards work, chip development, and ecosystem building must happen years in advance.
For those seeking to learn more or contribute to this work, MOPA's technical papers are publicly available at mopa-alliance.org, and the alliance welcomes new members interested in shaping the future of mobile optical transport.
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Explore Semtech's Tri-Edge portfolio engineered for ultra-low latency, low-power optical transport in 5G and 6G mobile networks or visit Signal Integrity Mobile Transport page to learn more.
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