Global Access Network Evolution

In this paper, we propose to tackle the problem of updating the access network in order to connect new subscribers and to satisfy the new class of service requirements for the existing subscribers to offer, for instance, new services such as high-definition television (HDTV) over the Internet protocol (IPTV). Four important access network architectures/technologies are considered: the digital subscriber line (xDSL) technologies deployed directly from the central office (CO), the fiber-to-the-node (FTTN), the fiber-to-the-micro-node (FTTn) and the fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP). An integer mathematical programming model is proposed for this network planning problem. Next, a heuristic algorithm based on the tabu search principle is proposed to find “good” feasible solutions within a reasonable amount of computational time. Finally, numerical results are presented and analyzed. To assess the quality of the solutions found with the proposed algorithm, they are compared to the optimal solutions found using a commercial implementation of the branch-and-bound algorithm.