Trends in optical access and in-building networks

As users require ever more speed, variety and personalization in ICT services, the capacity and versatility of access networks needs to be expanded. The first generation of point-to-point and of point-to-multipoint time-multiplexed passive optical networks (PON) is being installed. More powerful wavelength-multiplexed and flexible hybrid wavelength-time multiplexed solutions are coming up. Radio-over-fibre techniques create pico-cells for high-bandwidth wireless services. Next to bringing the bandwidth luxury to the doorstep, it must be distributed inside the userpsilas home. By advanced signal processing techniques, high-capacity wired and wireless services are jointly distributed in a low-cost converged in-building network using multimode (plastic) optical fibre.