GPON is the leading standard for passive optical networks

 

It is a type of point-to-multipoint network technology that provides broadband access to end users over fiber optic cables.

 

The term "gigabit" in GPON refers to the maximum achievable speed, which is typically 2.488 Gbit/s downstream and 1.244 Gbit/s upstream. Note that this bandwidth is shared among end users, so broadband access speeds typically start at 10 Mbps. On the other hand, "passive" means that the fiber optic network does not rely on electrically operating devices along its path.

Currently, GPON technology has proven to be the most widely used type of fiber optic connection, and is nearly 95% more energy efficient than standard copper networks. In addition, GPON also offers a 1:64 ratio on a single fiber, meaning that a single fiber optic cable with GPON can transmit video, data, and voice to up to 64 end users. GPON reduces the number of fiber optic links in a fiber optic network, making it the optical network standard of choice to reach the last mile efficiently and cost-effectively.

GPON has another great feature, which includes the integration of voice and data traffic on the same network using ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) coding. After all, GPON is very useful today to securely deliver triple play services (Data, IPTV, VoIP) at higher data rates, more bandwidth, and longer distances. GPON also supports all types of Ethernet protocols.

 

How does GPON work?

Now that we have a rough understanding of GPON, it is only natural to try to understand how it works. The key to how GPON works is its point-to-multipoint access fiber optic network topology.