A WDM-Ethernet hybrid passive optical network architecture

The wavelength division multiplexing-passive optical network (WDM-PON) has been known as the utmost advanced technology with high security, guaranteed QoS, transparent protocol and so on. However, WDM-PON is too expensive for general users, and its bandwidth is too much for the present services of individual general subscribers. This paper introduces a hybrid PON based on WDM, namely WDM-Ethernet PON (WE-PON), in which WDM-PON is integrated with time division multiplexing PON (TDM-PON) by AWG and splitter. WE-PON with 32 branch splitter can get down very close to that of TDM-PON. It can significantly lower the out side plant cost as well as maximizing the fibre utilization.