FTTH access network protection using a switch

Protection against equipment and cable failures in the local loop is crucial to ensure continuous services to the end-users. ITU-T proposed protection schemes for FTTH networks are mostly to be implemented by having redundant network equipments or introducing backup optical fiber cables. These approaches are not economical, as redundant systems are not fully utilized by the network. Here, we propose a novel protection scheme for the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) access network in the local loop. The advantages of this technique compared to other schemes are addressed in this paper. The survival of the network is studied by terminating the supporting optical line terminal (OLT) unit one after another. The number of optical node units (ONU) supported by the network is analyzed and reported in this paper with simulation results showing that the number of supportable ONUs exceed the FSAN standard value by 25% for every OLT added. The studies were carried out for four different traffic priorities.