Churches require a reliable, high-performance and scalable LANs that can withstand the test of time and deliver virtually unlimited bandwidth as applications and services evolve. That’s why church integrators need to stay up with the latest technology, such as the passive optical network (PON) and passive optical LAN (POL).
Starting a few years ago at Chicago’s Union Station and then in Baltimore and Washington DC, Amtrak equipped its new headquarters with a future-proof optical, advanced GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) and Digital Electric systems. This gave their newly renovated facility a highly efficient, resilient and cost-effective network that provides a wide range of high bandwidth telecommunications capabilities at gigabit speeds.
Tellabs and EXFO demonstrate a fiber-based enterprise LAN, designed using Passive Optical Networking technology, that can economically support one gigabit to ten gigabit connectivity speeds simultaneously over existing infrastructure to satisfy the ever-increasing network densities and capacities demanded by today’s modern smart buildings.
For many new FTTH operator entrants or expanding FTTH network operators, the choice to use next-generation 10G PON is as simple as having the ability to disrupt the market by offering gigabit rates as the entry-level service and 2-, 5-, and even 10-Gbit/sec residential service rates as options. Having the ability to advertise higher speeds than those supported by competing DOCSIS 3.1, 5G or GFast market rollouts protect market share and provide differentiation versus competing single gigabit service offers.
This year’s two APOLAN Award winners highlight the innovation, education and promotion driving POL to the future: The US Army received an award for the “World’s Largest Remote Powered POL Network at Fort Belvoir and Nokia was recognized for the industry’s first deployment of XGS PON in student housing.
Tellabs 1RU Tellabs FlexSym ONT248 offers a 48-port Ethernet switch capability that can be connected to a passive optical LAN as well as reuse existing copper horizontals. Each port supports up to 60 W of Power over Ethernet, which is limited only by the capacity of the redundant modular hot-swappable power supplies installed. The platform is XGS-PON compatible, meaning it can support symmetrical 10-Gbps downstream and upstream connections.
Tellabs and EXFO showcased a live demonstration of “the ever-increasing bandwidths possible over PON while preserving investments in existing fiber cabling, splitters, and equipment, at the Winter BICSI Conference.
Healthcare facilities have undergone rapid changes in recent years with a focus on digital transformation taking center stage. New technologies are being introduced to the market to enhance digital critical care, mobility, IoT and smart buildings. Healthcare campuses are struggling to address the IoT explosion, the influx of wireless devices, assurances of greater stability through constant availability and strict Quality of Service to support their mission critical services.
As bandwidth demands continue to increase and with copper cabling having distance shortcomings, passive optical networks looks like an alternative that can solve a number of problems. The primary driver of change from copper to optical is that the demands on the network have evolved. Every company now considers its network to be business critical where just a few years ago, it was considered best effort in nature. Downtime or a congested network meant inconvenienced users, but today they mean the business is likely losing big money.
PON uses optical line terminals (OLT) for delivery from headend, or remote OLTs in the ODN. Each of these options requires the workforce to upgrade their existing skills, knowledge and abilities.
