Performance assessment of a 2 Gb/s hybrid optical-wireless access network

The hybrid optical-wireless access network (HOWAN) is a promising architecture for future access networks. It is an optimal combination of an optical backhaul and a wireless front-end for an efficient access network. The HOWAN is proposed that can provide blanket coverage of broadband and flexible connection for end-users. In this paper, the HOWAN architecture is designed based on a WDM / TDM PON at the optical backhaul and a WiFi technology at the wireless front-end. We report performance analysis in terms of the bit-error-rate (BER), eye diagram, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the HOWAN system. It is accommodating an 8 wavelength channels × 32 optical access network / wireless access points (ONU / APs). Our simulations successfully demonstrate that downstream and upstream of 2 Gb/s can be achieved at optical backhaul for each wavelength channel, within a total distance 20 km and at a data rate of 54 Mb/s per ONU / APs along a 100 m outdoor wireless link.