Optical access network technology

According to Forrester Research estimates, in the next two years half the business users to be bandwidth doubling. Then the bandwidth from why and come? Enterprise user is currently only a few options: bandwidth constrained T1 line or is expensive and is not popular T3 line.

Optical fiber is the solution to this problem. According to the Vertical Systems Group said, at present only 3% businesses connected to the optical network, at the same time 76% enterprises from the optical fiber network distance in miles ( about 1.6 km ). However, until now, the optical fiber is connected directly to the enterprise is the only way to use the expensive SONET equipment, it is possible to optical fiber is connected to each building.

A new network technology -- optical access network technology ( OAN ) is to remove the barrier in LAN and WAN increasing capacity bottleneck practical technology. OAN allows service providers to businesses of all sizes to fiber based broadband services. Based on the passive optical network ( passive optical network, PON ) OAN does not need to be installed in the external station precious active electronic equipment, so that the service provider can be cost-effective to provide the necessary bandwidth.

OAN consists of three parts: one is installed in the service provider the central office of the optical access switch ( OAS ); a mounting in the client's intelligent optical terminal ( IOT ); and a mounting in the above two kinds of equipment between the PON. In the PON environment in addition to fiber optic lines only required external equipment is low ( a few hundred dollars ) passive optical splitters and couplers. These two kinds of equipment can be like water pipes of T shaped connector as isolated or combined transport stream: the half of the light transmission in one direction, the other half to another direction. Coupler / splitter can be seen in many optical components manufacturers to buy.

OAS is a kind of from distribution in the PON " downstream" hundreds of IOT transport stream pooled IP/ATM switch, standard interface of OAS provides an effective entry point into the wide area network. While the pizza box size IOT is a low-cost client device, it can support voice and broadband data services.

In an access network, a specification can not satisfy all the needs, the T1, T3 and digital subscriber line is such a case. OAN enables business users can enjoy a variety of flexible bandwidth: from 1M to 100Mbps and special wavelength bandwidth. In addition, OAN enables business users can quickly improve the bandwidth to support them on bandwidth demand changes, for example, a retailer in the holiday season will be the service level from 3M to 10Mbps.

Since few companies ready to use occupy the entire wavelength services, so the OAN application can be divided into smaller wavelength wavelength is very important. As the dense wavelength division multiplexing technology can increase the optical fiber line wavelength quantities, segmentation wavelength capacity was increased by a wavelength which can provide a service endpoint number. In this function, service providers do not require customers to submit to each wavelength when a lot of investment.

OAN is another key attribute is the use of embedded fiber optic infrastructure. Through the outer stations using passive optical splitter and a coupler, the service provider only in the office area near the deployment of small optical fiber line, and then by the office area to radiate out for the majority of business customers.

Submit high capacity bandwidth fiber optic infrastructure will eliminate the public network in the last kilometer obstacle. With the famous chicken-and-egg question like, enterprise users have unrestricted access to the Internet, will enjoy a virtual private network, business to business e-commerce and application of outsourcing in next generation service.