PON (Passive Optical Network) Technology review

PON (Passive Optical Network) is gradually establishing itself as an important part of broadband access technologies, which is fiber to the premises network architecture, FTTH (Fiber to the home). PON has several characteristics such as Simplicity (1: Multi) : PON consists of OLT (Optical Line Termination) and ONUs(Optical Network Lines) , no electronics or active link in field.

Why PON is important? PON can reduced operation cost in terms of below aspects
- High reliability
- Reduced power expenses
- Shorter installation times

There are several PON related technologies; B-PON, E-PON, and G-PON.

1) BPON: ATM based PON technology [Standard: ITU-T G.983]
• BPON maps all traffic to ATM sells
• ATM cells fit into BPON TC frames
• Can use Ethernet uplink

2) EPON: Ethernet based PON technology [Standard: IEEE 820.3ah]
• EPON is based on Ethernet Bearer, Symmetrical bi-directional 1Gbps
• Optical network can be split and delivered to 16ONUs
• End user can transmit packets by TDM. • Efficient for IP-based interactive and high speed data service.
• Easy to deploy with existing Gigabit Ethernet networks with last mile to the home
- In Asian Market, Japan and Korea, GEPON is dominant due to Re-use of Ethernet
- However, in North America TDM or ATM based network bearer is not efficient for EPON

3) GPON: ATM + Ethernet hybrid technology [Standard: ITU-T G.984]
• Address rates greater than 1 Giga byte/s
• Multi-service technology with Cell, Packet and TDM mapping
• Support ATM-only, Packet-only (variable length burst), and Mixed-mode framing
• GPON draws on the B-PON series
• Main Player in US market: Verizon (Nation-wide Deployed), AT&T, Bell South
•Advantage on downloads, efficiency, security, well support on TDM services (voice, data or video service) and QoS.
• Due to the existing ATM networks in US, fairly easy to deploy GPON with a large customer requirements.
• By 2008, North America will account for 43 percent of worldwide PON revenues where GPON dominates.