Introduction to Broadband Access Networks and Technologies

We now live in a world where broadband access is the norm and households without it are the exception. The traditional access network consisted of point‐to‐point wireline connections between telephone subscribers and an electronic multiplexing or switching system. Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) operate over a copper line at frequencies outside the voiceband, sending digital data directly from the subscriber, and thus avoiding the need for an analog to digital conversion. One advantage Hybrid Fiber‐Coaxial Cable (HFC) has over fiber to the home/curb networks (FTTH) systems is that the copper coaxial cable allows a community access cable television (CATV) company to provide power to the home telephone in the same manner that the telephone company does today. The attractive feature of power line communications (PLC) is the high penetration of electrical infrastructure in the world, which in many areas is much higher than any other telecommunication infrastructure.