How did the telecom operator separate customer traffic on a single fiber with a GPON connection?

What is GPON technology?

It is increasingly common to see a fiber-optic network based on GPON technology. This is not surprising – it has great potential, due to the guarantee of fast and secure Internet connection it provides.

Gigabit Passive Optical Network is the answer to the need for high-performance technology that customers now expect. It enables efficient operation not only of the Internet, but also of television or telephony.

It is most often used in networks built with FTTH technology. It provides throughput of 2488 Mbps download and 1244 Mbps upload analyzing from the side of ONT subscriber units, through which it is shared using TDMA technique, i.e. time domain multiplexing.

This transmission is carried out on a single optical fiber using two wavelengths – 1490nm and 1310nm, respectively.

What challenges does the market currently face?

Considering the current digital transformation and the huge demand for online activity by network users – whether at school, at work or at cultural events in their leisure time – it appears that the access network in one place (e.g., in a townhouse) is very crowded.

Individual customers using Internet, TV and telephone resources at low intensity may not feel the difference in data transmission.

The situation is different for business customers. Why? The use of services within the same access network is definitely more intensive with them. Operators, therefore, need to have increased bandwidth capacity and traffic separation.

Need: isolate customer traffic in the access network

This was the challenge our client, a telecommunications operator, was facing. Its large contractors demanded improvements in service quality. There was a risk of breaking contracts. The operator, realized that the access network it offers on a given fiber – despite the services already present on it based on GPON technology – is insufficient.

The first thought was to create a separate network for business customers. Unfortunately, it turned out that all the remaining fibers that could be considered for the creation of a new network – are already occupied. Only the current optical cable remained available, with a working GPON in the G.984.2 standard. So the question arose – how to increase its capabilities?

Solution: Implementation of CWDM

The solution is to use an additional CWDM “overlay” to prepare a dedicated wavelength for the customer.

Combining CWDM with GPON results in a significant increase in available bandwidth, while retaining the ability to create a dedicated channel for CATV transmission, in the 1550nm band.

The whole thing ensures optimal use of the available fiber, minimization of operating costs and, consequently, customer satisfaction, able to again enjoy reliable data transmission regardless of the number of network subscribers, bandwidth requirements and intensity of their service use.

What was the purpose of deploying CWDM on fiber with GPON?

• Creating dedicated wavelengths for the business customer.
• Separation of individual and business customers.
• Improving fiber utilization efficiency.
• Increasing network capacity using fiber occupied by GPON while maintaining concurrent CATV services.

What steps did we take?

What was the effect of the actions taken?

See what a network using CWDM looks like

One solution, multiple benefits

Explore FCA’s CWDM/DWDM product portfolio