Everything You Need To Know About Deploying and Operating Fiber Optic Broadband Networks

Point-to-point (P2P) and passive optical network (PON) are different methods of providing broadband services over optical fiber. Both options provide excellent bandwidth and paths to newer technologies, however there are some distinct differences.

Passive Optical Network (PON)

Passive Optical Networks (PON) use one fiber feeder which is split to connect multiple users, and therefore is a more cost-effective approach to deploying fiber optic networks. Due to its more cost-effective nature, PON is more prevalent.

Point-to-Point (P2P)

Point-to-point uses a dedicated fiber to each user and is therefore much more expensive to deploy and operate than its PON counterpart.

There are various PON technologies available, each with its own capabilities, including:

• EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network), 
• 10G EPON, 
• GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network), 
• XGS-PON, 
• TWDM-PON, 
• 25G PON

Operators may choose a specific PON technology over another for a variety of reasons such as cost, bandwidth and performance criteria, competition, business priorities, timing… or a combination of all of the above.

XGS-PON is a major upgrade from GPON, and there are certainly some compelling reasons for going straight to XGS-PON. Howver, operators should consider factors such as cost, bandwidth demand, and revenue generating opportunities when making their decisions.

The Multi-PON line card supports different types of optics and, if used with a Multi-PON optics, can simultaneously support GPON and XGS-PON on the same card. This is useful for instances where an operator may carry GPON for residential users and XGS-PON for business users.

Yes. 

FTTH PON utilizes multiple methods to ensure security on par with a point-to-point connection. Traffic is protected by AES encryption, control messages are carried in the GEM code (and are therefore also encrypted), and there are message integrity checks. These measures provide maximum protection against interception as well as protection for the data itself.

25G is a technology that is already available, while 50G is in its infancy and requires several years before reaching its commercial maturity. Both options deliver greater capacity over current GPON and XGS-PON (10G capacity) technologies. 

25G PON is able to co-exist with GPON and XGS-PON on the same network, though considerations such as demand, cost, and ease of deployment should be considered when compared to 10G.

GPON and G.fast services are virtually indistinguishable from each other and end-user customers cannot tell the difference between fiber GPON and a fiber-extension G.fast service. 

Operators will also have the benefit of a seamless management process, as G.fast nodes are managed in exactly the same way as GPON ONTs.

Fixed wireless access (FWA) is an alternative method of providing high-speed internet access to homes or businesses without needing a physical connection, such as phone lines. It is most often used as a fiber extension technology and uses radio links (4G/5G) between two fixed points to extend the reach of fiber broadband to new customers.

The “best” technology depends on your specific needs and the wireless spectrum available. 4G delivers basic broadband services and, like CBRS, can cover long distances, making both a good option for rural broadband services. 

5G adds 10-15x the capacity, making it possible to offer much faster speeds. Gigabet services can be achieved with mmWave, but this can be a complex undertaking due to the attenuation of high-frequency signals.

Optical LAN is a fiber networking technology that is used for enterprise applications as an alternative to CATx cable solutions that are found in traditional LAN. Optical LAN provides a number of advantages over CATx including: requiring less equipment and significantly less power, both of which can reduce upfront and ongoing costs. It also provides future-proof capacity and performance to networks and is particularly advantageous to large buildings and campuses, and for applications that require large amounts of data.

Optical LAN provides many benefits over traditional ethernet/CATx local area networks, including:

• Lower operating costs
• Lower initial equipment costs
• Smaller space/footprint requirements for IT while delivering 200x greater area coverage
• High performance of fiber broadband with 10 Gigabit and higher speeds.
• Mission critical security.
• Futureproof with cost-effective network evolution.

Traditional Local Area Networks (LAN) have been used for decades with very few innovations to their basic design, however their physical characteristics and performance impose a number of limitations over their fiber counterparts, including bandwidth, floor and cabling space, security, and power consumption. 

Optical LAN provides a high-capacity network with lower equipment and power requirements, eliminating the limitations of traditional CATx LAN.

On nearly every measurement criteria, a PON FTTH network is superior to DOCSIS 4.0. XGS-PON delivers 2.5x the capacity that full-duplex DOCSIS 4.0 is supposed to, and it’s already readily available whereas DOCSIS 4.0 commercial deployment isn’t likely to start on a broadscale until 2024. Additionally, PON FTTH is more reliable, more easily scalable, has a better signal quality, and a lower total cost of ownership.