On scalability, migratability and cost-effectiveness of next-generation WDM passive optical network architectures

The sharp growth in bandwidth-intensive applications and growing service requirements in the past decade have seen broadband service providers pushing optical fibers closer to subscribers. Passive Optical Networks (PON) are a key enabler in this area; Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) PON was standardized in 2004, and since then, have evolved into the current EPON standard that realizes 10Gbps capacities within subscribers´ reach. At the rate that the Internet and high-bandwidth applications are growing, it is foreseeable that TDM-PONs will at one point be replaced by Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) PONs, which hold great potential as the next step in the evolution of optical access networks. This survey discusses five of the most promising and current architectures in academia: Long-Reach WDM-PON, an OBS-based All-optical Access-Metro Network, SUCCESS, MARIN, and STARGATE. We discuss at the high level of their respective architectures, touching on migratability and cost issues, advantages and drawbacks, and also assess the results presented in their respective literature.