Network technologies for broadband access

The panorama of the “Last mile” is rapidly evolving (or has recently evolved) in many countries under the pressure of demand for broadband Internet and new services requested both by the residential and the business subscribers. In the convergence towards ubiquitous IP and Ethernet in access and metro networks, legacy fixed-infrastructure access-network technology is transforming from xDSL to fibered access (in particular, passive optical networks), also thanks to new low-impact deployment techniques. On the other hand, alternative technological solutions, competing with fibre, offer less bandwidth but in change require lower investments (e.g. HFC, PLC) and/or ensure user mobility (e.g. WiMax, LTE, LEO/MEO satellites). This short tutorial paper provides a quick bird-eye overview of the evolution of the access network, from present to future technical solutions and technologies for implementing the “Last mile”. A comprehensive picture looking at the entire panorama of broadband access, and not just at a single technology or only at the latest findings, is of key importance, in our view, for understanding the changes and for adapting to the field reality when providing broadband to private users.