Broadband Access Networks

Access networks can be vaguely categorized into two types, providing different challenges. These are mobile (wireless) access networks serving handheld devices and, fixed access networks serving offices and homes. In the first scenario, mobility management and limited power and size of the handheld devices are major challenges. In the second scenario, users are mostly stationary but, they have terminal equipment ranging from traditional phones to powerful computers, multimedia set-top boxes and (high-definition or regular) television sets. These home/office customers demand bandwidth hungry multimedia services such as voice, data and video with stringent quality of service requirements. Current and future broadband fixed access networks struggle to address these needs. The end user does not care about the underlying technology. As a result fiber-optics, copper, radio or any combination of these physical layer technologies are used to provide wireless or wired access. The objective of this article is to discuss these broadband fixed access technologies and networks and especially to highlight emerging hybrid fiber-wireless (Fi-Wi) broadband access networks.