Coverage capabilities of a multi-wavelength passive optical network architecture

We present a coverage capability analysis for a multi-wavelength passive optical network architecture that is designed for supporting broadband xDSL access. The analysis takes into account the physical layer impairments of optical fibers and components and, via extensive simulations, provides results concerning the reach that can be obtained and the number of wavelengths that can be utilized. Given the physical layer study results, we evaluate the applicability of the proposed scheme in real networking topologies and determine the number of end-users that can be served and the line rates they can enjoy for nine application scenarios in rural, semi-urban, urban and dense urban areas. Our results show that the proposed architecture is perfectly suitable for attaining the 2020 Digital Agenda objectives in terms of penetration and end-user bandwidth.