FTTH Distribution Cell Cross-Connection for Progressive GPON Port Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing FTTH network topologies in low-density residential and SMB areas do not optimize network resources, leading to unnecessary activation of CO and distribution network cell splitters, even for low customer penetration rates, and result in significant hardware investment and service outages due to failures.
Innovation Solution
A method for configuring FTTH distribution network cells that optimizes the number of required OLT GPON ports by cross-connecting fibres between ODPs and OSJ splitters, ensuring fair distribution of splitter outputs and allowing progressive activation of PON ports based on customer penetration rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all PON ports are activated to ensure coverage for low penetration rates, then network coverage is guaranteed, but hardware investment and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic port activation where PON ports are activated progressively based on actual customer penetration rates. Initially, only a subset of PON ports is activated to serve early customers, and additional ports are activated as demand grows. This dynamic approach replaces the static requirement to activate all ports upfront, reducing initial hardware investment while maintaining adequate coverage for the current customer base.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter of PON port activation status from a fixed state (all ports activated) to a variable state (selective port activation). By adjusting which specific PON ports are activated based on customer distribution and penetration rates, the system optimizes the balance between coverage and investment, allowing operators to serve customers with fewer active ports and defer activation of additional ports until needed.
2Ease of operation
If straight sequence connection is used from ODPs to splitters, then network simplicity is maintained, but resource optimization is prevented and single points of failure affect entire areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the customer base into different groups, each served by different PON ports and splitter combinations. Instead of a single straight sequence connection where all customers in an area depend on one path, customers are divided and distributed across multiple independent paths through different PON ports. This segmentation ensures that a failure in one path affects only a subset of customers rather than the entire area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic connectivity where the mapping between ODPs, PON ports, and splitters is not fixed but can be reconfigured. This dynamic approach allows the network to adapt to failures by rerouting connections and redistributing customers across available PON ports and splitters, maintaining service continuity while preserving operational simplicity through automated or semi-automated reconfiguration.
3Reliability
If all splitters must be illuminated to serve customers, then complete coverage is achieved, but the number of required OLT GPON ports increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of splitter illumination from a binary state (all splitters must be illuminated) to a selective state (only required splitters are illuminated). By calculating the minimum set of splitters needed to serve the current customer base and illuminating only those, the system achieves complete coverage for active customers while avoiding unnecessary illumination of other splitters, thereby reducing the number of required active GPON ports and improving port utilization efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a new method to optimize the number of required OLT GPON ports, according to the growing customer penetration rate, when deploying FTTH in low density residential and SMB areas. Additionally, it enables to minimize simultaneous customer service outages in the same zone or MDU if a distribution cell splitter fails. This method presents a new connectivity paradigm at FTTH distribution network cells based on cross-connecting the fibres between ODPs and the OSJ splitters outputs. The method spreads each splitter coverage across the cell and guarantees a fair distribution of the outputs by as many ODPs as possible, following FTTH design best practices. This approach assures that the lowest splitters will be used first and enables the optimization of GPON ports at the central office, depending on the customer penetration rate.