Recently, there has been a lot chatter around Passive Optical Network (PON) or, as some have called it, Passive Optical LANs. This technology has been around since 1995 when Full Service Access Network and International Telecommunications Union began working on the standards for fiber-to-the-home. Since that time the technology has evolved from asynchronous transfer mode (ATM-based) passive optical network (APON) to Ethernet-based transmission standards (EPON) and from an outside plant service or fiber- to-the-x (FTTx) to an in-building solution like a passive optical LAN.
In North America, most telecommunications service providers are still delivering GPON (Gigabit PON) because it easily maps into their Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) for transport. The industry, however, is beginning to look more at EPON because of its simpler implementation. In Asia, EPON deployment tends to be the norm for that reason. As industry and businesses are looking for ways to deploy reliable networks at lower costs, PON technology is getting more attention.
PON networks are flatter networks, not requiring distribution or aggregation switches. They require less real estate since network closets are being eliminated or reduced in footprint. Another great benefit is that they are a green technology because they require less power to run its active equipment. These are some of the benefits which companies may be able to achieve by transitioning to a PON solution.
If you are attending BICSI Canada April 29-30 in Vancouver, please stop by CommScope booth #500 or leave a comment below to continue this discussion.
Have you considered deploying a PON solution?
