Broadband Passive Optical Access Networks

This article provides a brief overview of the evolution and emerging trends of passive optical networks (PONs). Early standardized time division multiplexed (TDM) PONs, namely the Broadband PON (BPON), Gigabit PON (GPON), and Gigabit Ethernet PON (GE-PON), are first reviewed and compared. A discussion on standardized 10 G-PON including IUT-T next-generation PON stage-1 (NG-PON1) also commonly referred to as XG-PON and IEEE 10 Gigabit Ethernet PON (10GE-PON) is then presented. New technologies that facilitate multiple access beyond 10 Gb/s time division multiple access (TDMA)-PONs, i.e., ITU-T NG-PON2 and IEEENG-EPON, are then discussed in the context of improving system reach, capacity, and subscriber count through Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexed (TWDM) PONs. Finally, discussions on future access networks that provide improved tolerance to system impairments …