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Edwin Jan Klein - Universiteit Twente

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1.3 Bringing Fiber to the Home<br />

5<br />

Introduction<br />

The last link between the subscriber and the first point of connection to a network<br />

infrastructure is the so-called Access Network (AN). The previously mentioned xDSL<br />

and FTTH as well as other technologies such as Cable and Wireless (WIFI) are<br />

possible implementations of this network. Within the access network FTTH may be<br />

implemented in several topologies. The two main competing topologies are Ethernet<br />

Point to Point (P2P) and the Passive Optical Network (PON) in the form of Ethernet<br />

PON (EPON) or the newer Gigabit PON (GPON).<br />

1.3.1 Passive optical networks<br />

Passive optical networks were first introduced in the 1980’s. Since prices for fiber<br />

optic cable and optical transceivers were very high at the time a topology was devised<br />

that could share these resources. To this end PON networks use a Point to Multi-Point<br />

(P2MP) topology as shown in Figure 1.4a.<br />

Figure 1.4a. Passive optical network. Figure 1.4b. Ethernet based Point to point<br />

network.<br />

In this topology an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) at the head office is connected to a<br />

single strand of fiber that goes out to a passive optical splitter near the customers’<br />

premises. Here the signal is typically divided into 32 different lines using a passive<br />

splitter. Each of these lines is connected to an Optical Network Unit (ONU) on a<br />

customers’ premise. Downstream data is therefore transmitted to all users with each<br />

ONU having to determine which packets are for that customer. The PON uses one<br />

wavelength for downstream traffic and another for upstream traffic. The latest<br />

specifications call for downstream traffic from the OLT to the ONU to be transmitted<br />

at a wavelength 1490 nm while upstream traffic is transmitted from the ONU at 1310<br />

nm [10].<br />

1.3.2 Ethernet Point to Point networks<br />

In an Ethernet point to point network each customers’ ONU has a direct fiber<br />

connection to a central router at the Head Office (HO) or an aggregation router in the<br />

street cabinet, as shown in Figure 1.4b. Like the PON the point to point network uses<br />

one wavelength for downstream traffic and another for upstream traffic. In the past<br />

the cost of optical fiber and transceivers, as well as the maintenance cost of the active<br />

components in the field, has been prohibitive in the deployment of P2P networks.

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