System and cost analyses of broad-band fiber loop architectures

Analyses of four broadband fiber-optic subscriber loop architectures, including active (high-speed time division multiplexing (TDM)-based) and passive (dense wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-based, WDM-based with an analog subcarrier-multiplexing overlay, and splitter-based) double-star topologies, are presented. The analyses focus on specific demonstrated architectures and use component cost projections based on learning curves to estimate future network costs on a per-subscriber basis. Also investigated is the sensitivity of projected cost-per-subscriber to remote multiplexing node size and to double-star prove-in distance. The results indicate that the four architectures have very different double-star prove-in distances and that loop costs are minimized for much smaller remote node sizes than active loops, thus permitting cost-effective deployment of passive loops for smaller groups of subscribers. In addition, cost breakdowns for the four architectures indicate that splitter-based passive loops share electronics more effectively among subscribers than loop architectures requiring dedicated (per-subscriber) electronic interfaces, resulting in projected cost advantages for the splitter-based networks