A broadband access network based on optical signal processing: the photonic highway

A broadband access network, the photonic highway, which is based on optical signal processing (OSP) and consists of photonic access nodes (PANs), which process optical signals directly, is discussed. Each PAN has an optical drop/insert function. The authors focus on the configuration of the fiber network and access nodes and describe its application to a metropolitan area network (MAN) and a CATV distribution network. They also describe the basic experiments conducted to verify the proposed architecture using newly developed bistable laser diodes