PDF of this tutorialEPONs are in the early phases of commercial development with initial trial deployments anticipated during 2001. Although APONs have a slight head start in the marketplace, current industry trends—including the rapid growth of data traffic and the increasing importance of fast Ethernet and gigabit Ethernet services—favor Ethernet PONs. Standardization efforts are already underway based on the establishment of the EFM study group, and momentum is building for an upgrade to the FSAN–initiated APON standard.
The stage is set for a paradigm-shift in the communications industry that could well result in a completely new “equipment deployment cycle,” firmly grounded in the wide-based adoption of fiber optics and Ethernet technologies. This optical IP Ethernet architecture promises to become the dominant means of delivering bundled voice, data, and video services over a single network. In addition, this architecture is an enabler for a new generation of cooperative and strategic partnerships, which will bring together content providers, service providers, network operators, and equipment manufacturers to deliver a bundled entertainment and communications package unrivaled by any other past offering.
