en.Wedoany.com Reported - Recently, Polish regional telecom operator Asta-NET launched an XGS-PON fiber access network upgrade in northern Greater Poland and West Pomeranian Voivodeship, officially activating 2Gbps and 5Gbps fixed broadband services in the first batch of upgraded areas. Asta-NET stated that it is the first operator in the region to deploy this technology and offer corresponding access services. XGS-PON currently covers over 20% of its fiber network, with plans to expand from key nodes to more towns and user addresses.
This round of construction is not merely an adjustment of broadband packages but a phased upgrade of the existing fiber access infrastructure. Asta-NET explicitly stated that new services are currently available only in select locations, primarily because existing networks in different areas require gradual adaptation to the new generation of technology. The operator will determine the initial construction areas based on existing fiber lines, access nodes, and user distribution, expanding service coverage after completing relevant network upgrades. Therefore, even if a town is already within Asta-NET's service area, it does not mean all addresses are ready for XGS-PON access.
From an engineering perspective, the XGS-PON upgrade requires adjustments to the central office fiber access platform and the configuration of network terminals and routing equipment on the user side that can support higher bandwidth. Existing fiber lines can continue to serve as transmission media, but access equipment, port capacity, service configuration, and user terminals must be compatible with the new platform. Some areas may also require expanded aggregation links to prevent the upstream transmission network from becoming a new capacity bottleneck as user access speeds increase. Asta-NET has not disclosed the number of optical line terminals installed in this round, the scale of user-side equipment, or the specific towns undergoing upgrades. Therefore, it is currently confirmed that the initial network coverage ratio has exceeded 20%, with broader construction still proceeding in phases.
Asta-NET's existing network covers multiple counties in northern Greater Poland and West Pomeranian Voivodeship, including towns such as Piła, Wałcz, Kołobrzeg, Koszalin, Złotów, and Trzcianka. Relevant reports indicate that the company's fiber infrastructure covers over 160,000 households, with nearly 65,000 existing customers. Introducing XGS-PON, a high-capacity access method commonly used by large national operators, into a regional network signifies that local fixed broadband construction is shifting from "expanding fiber-to-the-home coverage" to "enhancing the single-line capacity and multi-terminal carrying capability of existing fiber networks."
The new platform currently offers two main access tiers: 2Gbps and 5Gbps. Monthly fees for a 23-month contract are 125 PLN and 165 PLN, respectively, while for an 11-month contract, they are 130 PLN and 170 PLN, respectively. The highest-tier service is launched under the name "Internet XGSPON." The operator also provides routing equipment for related services, but whether users can achieve the advertised speeds on a single computer or terminal depends on the device's network card, routing ports, home wiring, and wireless network capabilities.
For Asta-NET, the initial activation of over 20% of the network area is just the starting point of the entire upgrade project. Subsequent construction will primarily involve upgrading more access nodes, verifying user address eligibility, installing new terminals, and expanding upstream network capacity, gradually extending 5Gbps services to other towns. The operator has not yet announced a completion timeline for covering the entire existing network with XGS-PON. The next key milestones to watch are the continued increase in coverage ratio, the expansion of the initial user base, and whether central office equipment and transmission links in different areas can be upgraded synchronously.
