The Outlook for PON Standardization: A Tutorial

In light of the 5G deployments, edge computing, and future high bandwidth services, the industry is rethinking the optical access network architecture design. Passive optical network (PON) with its efficient fiber infrastructure plays an essential role in this design transformation. This article reviews the driving forces shaping the new generations of PON systems in the coming years; and discusses the course of action in the FSAN Group, ITU-T, and IEEE standards bodies to address the impending requirements.