Assessment methodology of protection schemes for next generation optical access networks

Abstract

Optical access networks are evolving towards next generation solutions offering much higher bandwidth per end point. Moreover, the uninterrupted access to the network services is becoming crucial and therefore operators are now considering protecting their access networks. However, the cost factor is still very important due to the relatively low cost sharing in access segment. For this purpose, this paper proposes an assessment methodology that can be used to compare different protection schemes and help to identify the suitable solution for a given scenario. The assessment criteria includes some reliability measures such as Failure Impact Factor (FIF) and connection availability, as well as cost parameters such as the investment required in greenfield and brownfield scenarios and the increase in power consumption compared to the unprotected network. The proposed criteria have been used to compare 7 representative protection schemes shown in literature, which differ mainly in the number of protected network elements and the technology used for protection (fiber, wireless, etc.). The considered protection schemes have been applied to a hybrid wavelength division multiplexing/time division multiplexing Passive Optical Network (Hybrid PON) architecture in an urban area. It has been shown that it is difficult to identify the absolute best scheme with respect to all the considered criteria. However, depending on the requirements from the operator regarding the targeted reliability performance in the network, an appropriate protection scheme can be recommended for either a greenfield or a brownfield scenario.