Approaches to multiple service delivery over passive optical networks

Summary form only given. From the earliest descriptions of passive optical networks (PONs), the idea of using the tremendous bandwidth of optical fiber to provide diverse services has been advocated, and using wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) was suggested early and more formally proposed a few years ago. In such a system, passive power splitters are used to convey multiplexed information between the headend or Central Office (CO) and the subscribers. Early subscribers, and those declining more advanced services, operate in one region of the optical spectrum, while other regions of the optical spectrum are reserved for more advanced services in the future. We propose a modest generalization of this view by identifying the different services as being provided by different providers. That is, different service providers use different regions of the optical spectrum, sharing the same physical network but operating with distinct services and even distinct terminal equipment.