ADVA Optical Challenges EPON/GPON with WDM-PON Universal Access

ADVA Optical Networking introduced a WDM-PON solution aimed at giving carriers greater capacity and flexibility in both the access and backhaul segments of their network by leveraging wave division multiplexing technology. The Flexible Remote Node (FRN) is an extension of the ADVA FSP 3000 platform. When located at the curb, it can be configured as a purely passive network element with environmentally hardened WDM filters that allow the setup of a point-to-multipoint WDM-PON structure. When located at a street cabinet, the FRN can include active equipment such as optical amplifiers and active Ethernet technology that enable reach extension and traffic aggregation.


ADVA Optical Networking said its introduction of WDM into the FTTx environment challenges current EPON (Ethernet PON) and GPON (Gigabit PON), because both of these architectures use protocol-based traffic separation, which creates security concerns for high-end users. Bandwidth scalability is affected by the demands of neighboring customers. Loss-intensive splitting and the absence of optical amplification limit the reach of such solutions to roughly 20km.


In contrast, a WDM-PON approach uses wavelength-based traffic separation implemented with wavelength-selective filters. Bandwidth--per-cabinet, -building or -end user can be scaled nearly indefinitely, while the reach can be extended to 100km or more. The combination of secure traffic separation, scalable bandwidth and extended reach enables carriers to serve a wider customer base from fewer active sites. It eliminates the need for purpose-built platforms and allows a streamlined network operation with fewer operational staff.


ADVA also points to energy efficiency through the elimination of active equipment and the reduction in number of active network sites.


"There is true benefit to having WDM in both the access and backhaul segments of the network," stated Christoph Glingener, chief technology officer of ADVA Optical Networking. "There have been several false starts in the industry regarding FTTx (Fiber-to-the-x) deployments; many solutions have shown limited scalability, introduced network complexity and increased operational costs. Our new unified approach, employing a WDM-PON solution, will enable service providers of all kinds to extend the benefits of WDM into the access network, thereby eliminating active sites and reducing overall network costs."http://www.advaoptical.com