A MILP based design tool for FTTH access networks with consideration of demand growth

The requirement of high bandwidth services such as High Definition TV over IPTV, online gaming, high speed Internet, etc. makes the deployment of FTTx networks the best choice to deliver those services. However, an optimal design of FTTx access networks requires the consideration of many factors, such as the type, number, position of component, cabling paths, demand distribution and future growth. With the manual approach, quality of designs often varies based on the planners' experience. In addition, the pressure imposed on the planner makes it impossible to produce an optimal design. In this paper, based on a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) approach, a design tool is proposed to automate the FTTH designs with respect to future growth. Different planning scenarios have been considered in order to investigate the impact of the future growth and the planning methodology on the planning cost with respect to the cost of materials/installation.