Upgrade to Optical LAN, how does it work and what does it cost?

For organisations planning major connectivity upgrades, whether in a greenfield or a brownfield scenario, the choice of network infrastructure is no longer only about speed and uptime. With growing pressure to meet ESG goals, optimise space, reduce energy consumption, and future-proof investments, the shift from legacy copper to fiber is fast becoming the logical next step.

Enter Nokia’s Aurelis Optical LAN,  a next-generation, fibre-based networking solution that not only delivers enterprise-grade performance, but also actively supports your organisation’s sustainability credentials, BREEAM certification, and long-term operational efficiency.

Future proofing organisations

The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Passive Optical LAN (POL) is often wrongly seen as high. Meanwhile, Optical LAN can be cheaper in rip & replace use cases, even in brownfield scenarios. Moreover, the long-term return is significant.

Hardware and deployment costs vary per user and project. Fiber installation, Optical Network Terminals (ONTs), management software among other factors, are the variables that oftendecide the cost of the project.

• Organisations report up to 55% cost savings in large deployments over time thanks to simplified architecture, less equipment, lower cooling and reduced maintenance over la onger lifecycle.
• Fiber infrastructure has a lifespan of 50+ years, and needs fewer refresh cycles than copper-based LANs, significantly lowering lifecycle costs.

The way of the future

Nokia’s Aurelis Optical LAN is not just a more sustainable network. It's a more capable one.

• Delivers 25 Gbps speeds today, ideal for Wi-Fi 7, IoT, and future cloud workloads, and is future-ready for 50 Gbps and 100 Gbps performance without forklift upgrades.
• Supports network convergence Wi-Fi, IoT, cloud, voice, data, security, and smart systems over a single infrastructure.
• Enterprise-ready with robust security, QoS, and VLAN support.
• Open platform that allows easy integration into your existing IT management tools.

ESG advantages of optical LAN

Switching to an Optical LAN delivers measurable environmental benefits:

• 40% lower power consumption than traditional LANs, thanks to passive optical components and fewer heat-generating devices.
• 70% less cabling, reducing material use, installation effort, and fire load.
• 90% smaller physical footprint in telecom rooms, less cooling, less rack space, fewer switches.
• Lower electronic waste and easier alignment with circular economy practices.

These advantages complement ESG strategies across sectors. Organisations targeting BREEAM certification for new or renovated facilities are the top beneficiaries.

Boosting the BREEAM score

Nokia’s Aurelis Optical LAN can contribute up to 8 credits under the BREEAM International New Construction V6 standard, representing nearly 8% of the total score.

Key areas of contribution include:

• Energy (ENE01, ENE04) : Reduced ICT power demand supports building-level carbon reduction.
• Materials (MAT01, MAT06) : Less copper, less plastic, fewer active components.
• Health & Wellbeing (HEA05) : Quiet operation improves acoustic conditions.
• Management (MAN02, MAN04): Lifecycle-focused design and simplified commissioning reduce risk and long-term cost.

These contributions strengthen the project’s case for BREEAM Excellent or Outstanding ratings, important not just for compliance, but also for property valuation and investor confidence.