On optimized passive optical network (PON) deployment

Service providers emphasize the need for faster, cheaper and more reliable deployment of broadband networks, therefore making the hardware manufacturers pursue innovative solutions driving down component complexity, installation time, required skill level and, ultimately, the overall deployment cost for an access network structure. The current dramatic increase in the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployment pace along with the general desire to eventually migrate completely to these systems, puts the Passive Optical Network (PON) deployment issues in the spotlight of current academic and system vendor research. Numerous publications [1-6] explore new technology developments leading to the reduction in the overall costs required to deploy FTTH networks today, especially in terms of the PON structure [7-9], installation time, and required craftsman skill level.