Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1327492
January/February/March 2021 I 21 In-building cabling with singlemore fibers. GPON using optical splitters. Fiber distribution terminal (FDT) FDT FDT FDT FDH Collector Fiber distribution hub (FDH) with centralized splitters Feeder cable Fiber collector with zone splitters Riser cable (ribbon or multiple fiber) ONT FIGURE 1: Passive Optical LANs deliver extensive benefits when properly deployed and tested. Between these two components lies the optical distribution network (ODN), which is a completely passive network. Figure 1 illustrates the typical POL architecture within an enterprise. It should be noted, however, that for smaller deployments of 100-200 Ethernet ports, the return on investment (ROI) from a Capex perspective is not as good as with copper cables. In the lower port range, PON would only be selected if the enterprise values • HIGH RELIABILITY: The technology has a proven track record. With its roots in FTTH and FTTx, POL offers true carrier-class robustness and reliability. POL electronics have a five 9s level of reliability: 99.999 percent of the time. • OPTIMIZED BANDWIDTH HANDLING: Electronics manufacturers can now control the data in a dynamic way by dedicating, rather than allocating, bandwidth to the end user. • GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATIONS: The completely passive network offers significant savings on cabling infrastructure materials needed for buildings. The necessity for extensive cooling systems is minimized, thereby reducing the power consumption for a POL network by up to 80 percent. It also enables applying for LEED credits and achieving environmental and infrastructure savings. eco-friendly technology and/or future-proof networks over the immediate ROI considerations. There are important benefits inherent in well planned and designed POL adoption in the enterprise. Those benefits include: 1 • COST SAVINGS AND EXTENDED LIFE SPAN: POLs replace aggregation electronics and copper cables with passive optical splitters and SMF. This creates an architecture with Capex savings of up to 70 percent for the active equipment, structured cabling, and reduced installation and mainten- ance costs. It also provides a reliable optical fiber plant that can last 25 years or more—far longer than traditional copper architectures.