Optimization of emerging extended FTTH WDM/TDM PONs and financial overall assessment

Abstract

Optical access technology has experienced a boost in the last years, thanks to the continuously migrating multimedia services that are offered over the internet. Though the technologies used for deploying Fiber-To-The-x (FTTx) and Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) are mostly based on either Active solutions or as far as Passsive Optical Networks (PONs) is concerned, in Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), an evolution towards Hybrid solutions such as Wavelength Division Multiplexing/Time Division Multiplexing (WDM/TDM) can be foreseen. What needs to be researched and finally established are the exact designs for this important step of integration, which should be optimized in terms of transmission performance and cost, to address all requirements of next-generation passive optical networks. As the most critical elements in optical access network, the design and its cost are the main topics of this discussion. The covered topics span over a wide range and include cost estimation of several optical network technologies - architectures and their comparison and furthermore, subjects of design optimization. In this last category, in-line remote amplification, use of an alternative and an extended frequency band, dispersion compensation and equalization techniques have been examined as well as a combination of the aforementioned means of network optimization. Next to the principal proof of the proposed techniques, the benefits are highlighted in different case studies, while the most representative designs are further discussed.