First Mile Access Networks and Enabling Technologies

An Ideal First Mile Network: Coalescing PLC with EPON

In Chapter 2, “Passive Optical Networks in the First Mile,” we discussed the benefits of PON and concluded that Ethernet over PON (EPON) was the simplest and best candidate for a high-performance broadband solution. However, one limitation inhibited the deployment of PON solutions worldwide: the high initial cost of deployment. Fiber to the home/office/end user or premises is an excellent solution that will, once and for all, solve the first mile access problem. In a world where economic necessities often dictate the way industries move, however, laying fiber to the home is not always easy to justify in terms of cost. That said, the cost is significantly reduced, and hence the problem greatly ...