One of the primary challenges in today's computer networking world is providing enough bandwidth to achieve true broadband access in the local, or last-mile, access network. Over the course of the last decade or so, there has been a tremendous increase in the bandwidth of the core network in the U.S. In fact, a substantial portion of this core network, which primarily consists of fiber optic technology, is unused. This is primarily due to the lack of bandwidth in the last-mile access network. The last- mile access network of today primarily consists of technologies (e.g. digital subscriber line and cable modem access) that rely on infrastructures designed to carry voice and cable television signals. As a result, consumers are not able to enjoy true broadband services. This thesis discusses and analyzes the use of passive optical networking (PON) technology as possibly the best solution to today's last-mile bottleneck. General PON technology concepts and details concerning the two primary PON technologies, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) PONs and Ethernet PONs, are discussed. The application of PON technology in achieving fiber to the home, using both PON-only and PON-hybrid infrastructures, is also described. Finally, the current PON business market and regulatory factors are discussed and analyzed.

Considering the key evolutions within the access network technologies as well as the unprecedented levels of bandwidth demands by end users, this book condenses the relentless research, design, and deployment experience of state-of-the-art access networks. Furthermore, it shares the critical steps and details of the developments and deployment of these emergent technologies; which is very crucial particularly as telecommunications vendors and carriers are looking for cost-effective ultra-broadband “last-mile” access solutions to stay competitive in the “post bubble” era. The book is written to provide a comprehensive overview of the major broadband access technologies and deployments involving internationally recognized authors and key players. Due to its scope and depth, the proposed book is able to fill an important gap of today’s available literature.

Broadband optical access network is an ideal solution to alleviate the first/last mile bottleneck of current Internet infrastructures. Richly illustrated throughout to help clarify important topics, Broadband Optical Access Networks covers the architectures, protocols enabling technologies of broadband optical access networks, and all current and future competing technologies for access networks. This comprehensive work presents the evolution of optical access networks, including reach extension, bandwidth enhancement, and discusses the convergence of optical and wireless technologies for broadband access, making it an invaluable reference for researchers, electrical engineers, and graduate students.

Describes the major architectures, standards, and technologies of Passive Optical Networks (PONs) The ComSoc Guide to Passive Optical Networks provides readers with a concise explanation of the key features of Passive Optical Networks (PONs); the different types of PON architectures and standards; key issues of PON devices, management, and implementation; and the promising business opportunities in access networks. Written for a broad audience, ranging from developers to users, this indispensable book provides an understanding o the evolutionary path of PON access systems and their positioning with respect to the cable, copper, and wireless competitors for broadband access networks. In addition, The ComSoc Guide to Passive Optical Networks: Provides brief, high-level overviews of the architectures and applications of Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) or Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC) access networks and the alternative HFC, subscriber line, and WiMAX access systems Awards readers with a clear understanding of what BPON, GPON, WDM-PON and EPON are and how they work, together with an introduction to their respective standards Carefully defines all acronyms and technical terms, making the book accessible to those who may not be specialists in this area Gives readers an appreciation of the last mile problems in telecommunications access networks, and the opportunities in optical-wireless integration

Broadband Last Mile: Access Technologies for Multimedia Communications provides in-depth treatments of access technologies and the applications that rely upon them or support them. It examines innovations and enhancements along multiple dimensions in access, with the overarching goal of ensuring that the last mile is not the weak link in the broadband chain. Written by experts from the academic and commercial segments of the field, the book's self-contained sections address topics related to the disciplines of communications, networking, computing, and signal processing. The core of this treatment contains contemporary reviews of broadband pipes in the classes of copper, cable, fiber, wireless, and satellite. It emphasizes the coexistence of these classes within a network, the importance of optical communications for unprecedented bandwidth, and the flexibility and mobility provided by wireless. The book also includes perspective on the increasingly important topic of network management, providing insights that are true regardless of the nature of the pipe. The text concludes with a discussion of newly emerging applications and broadband services. This book offers an all-in-one treatment of the physical pipes and network architectures that make rich and increasingly personalized applications possible. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners working in the increasingly pervasive field of broadband.

Written by experts in the field, this book provides an overview of all forms of broadband subscriber access networks and technology, including fiber optics, DSL for phone lines, DOCSIS for coax, power line carrier, and wireless. Each technology is described in depth, with a discussion of key concepts, historical development, and industry standards. The book contains comprehensive coverage of all broadband access technologies, with a section each devoted to fiber-based technologies, non-fiber wired technologies, and wireless technologies. The four co-authors’ breadth of knowledge is featured in the chapters comparing the relative strengths, weaknesses, and prognosis for the competing technologies. Key Features: Covers the physical and medium access layers (OSI Layer 1 and 2), with emphasis on access transmission technology Compares and contrasts all recent and emerging wired and wireless standards for broadband access in a single reference Illustrates the technology that is currently being deployed by network providers, and also the technology that has recently been or will soon be standardized for deployment in the coming years, including vectoring, wavelength division multiple access, CDMA, OFDMA, and MIMO Contains detailed discussion on the following standards: 10G-EPON, G-PON, XG-PON, VDSL2, DOCSIS 3.0, DOCSIS Protocol over EPON, power line carrier, IEEE 802.11 WLAN/WiFi, UMTS/HSPA, LTE, and LTE-Advanced

Broadband optical access network is an ideal solution to alleviate the first/last mile bottleneck of current Internet infrastructures. Richly illustrated throughout to help clarify important topics, Broadband Optical Access Networks covers the architectures, protocols enabling technologies of broadband optical access networks, and all current and future competing technologies for access networks. This comprehensive work presents the evolution of optical access networks, including reach extension, bandwidth enhancement, and discusses the convergence of optical and wireless technologies for broadband access, making it an invaluable reference for researchers, electrical engineers, and graduate students.