New Optical LAN solution from Nokia and RUCKUS enters early access for select customers

April 29, 2026 – This solution promises to bridge the gap between RUCKUS Wi-Fi 7 and Nokia's Optical LAN. The best of both worlds. It has been known for some time that this was coming, but in Q2 2026, the first users in Asia and North America are now starting to test it. Discover what this new development means for you and when we expect to be able to deploy it in Europe.

How Optical LAN integrates into RUCKUS networks

In short: Optical LAN is the LAN foundation upon which Wi-Fi 7 runs. After all, without a proper wired connection and power, Access Points cannot perform as intended. The collaboration manifests in the fact that RUCKUS APs connect seamlessly to Nokia's Optical Line Terminal (OLT), the Aurelis MF-2, and this unit can be managed via RUCKUS One. They couldn't make installation any simpler.

MDU & Hospitality

At Alcadis, we have been deploying Nokia Optical LAN in the Benelux for some time, and our experience is that this solution is particularly well-suited for MDU and larger hospitality environments. Compared to traditional switching, it uses splitters to create branches instead of requiring a switch per (hotel) room. Cables can be laid over distances of up to 20 km!

By using fewer switches, you not only save on costs, but energy consumption is also significantly lower—a reduction of 40% compared to Cat6. Additionally, integrations with RUCKUS One allow you to monitor the real-time performance of your Optical LAN network in the same place as your Wi-Fi network. This is ideal for making smart adjustments if your network is not achieving the desired results.

Getting started in 2026

As mentioned, this new solution is currently only available in early access for select users in Asia and North America. A launch date for Europe is not yet known. However, it remains possible to deploy RUCKUS and Nokia solutions separately. For example, you can start with Optical LAN and add RUCKUS Wi-Fi 7 Access Points later. This is not a bad idea, as cabling and APs are often installed in different phases.

Please contact us via sales@alcadis.nl or 030 – 65 85 125 if you are interested in this solution or simply have questions.