FSAN interoperability efforts: building toward G-PON interoperability

The full service access network's (FSAN) interoperability task group (TG) addresses interoperability between PON systems. Recently, the TG has focused on gigabit passive optical network (G-PON) system interoperability between optical line terminations (OLT) and optical network terminations (ONT) of different vendors, which has leveraged the lessons learned from broadband passive optical network (B-PON) interoperability. The TG members have made progress with interoperability by analyzing the International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunications (ITU-T) Recommendations to develop test plans and demonstrate implementations that work across multiple vendors' OLTs and ONTs. This article defines interoperability and conformance and describes the FSAN's interoperability program to develop common test plans. It describes recent and planned G-PON interoperability demonstrations, as well as current challenges facing the industry.