FiWi Access Networks Based on Next-Generation PON and Gigabit-Class WLAN Technologies: A Capacity and Delay Analysis

Abstract

Abstract-Current Gigabit-class passive optical networks (PONs) evolve into next-generation PONs, whereby high-speed Gb/s time division multiplexing (TDM) and long-reach wavelength-broadcasting/routing wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) PONs are promising near-term candidates. On the other hand, next-generation wireless local area networks (WLANs) based on frame aggregation techniques will leverage physical-layer enhancements, giving rise to Gigabit-class very high throughput (VHT) WLANs. In this paper, we develop an analytical framework for evaluating the capacity and delay performance of a wide range of routing algorithms in converged fiber-wireless (FiWi) broadband access networks based on different next-generation PONs and a Gigabit-class multiradio multichannel WLAN-mesh front end. Our framework is very flexible and incorporates arbitrary frame size distributions, traffic matrices, optical/wireless propagation delays, data rates, and fiber faults. We verify the accuracy of our probabilistic analysis by means of simulation for the wireless and wireless-optical-wireless operation modes of various FiWi network architectures under peer-to-peer, upstream, uniform, and nonuniform traffic scenarios. The results indicate that our proposed optimized FiWi routing algorithm (OFRA) outperforms minimum (wireless) hop and delay routing in terms of throughput for balanced and unbalanced traffic loads, at the expense of a slightly increased mean delay at small to medium traffic loads.Index Terms-Availability, fiber-wireless (FiWi) access networks, frame aggregation, integrated routing algorithms, next-generation passive optical networks (PONs), very high throughput wireless local area network (VHT WLAN).

Recent development on time and wavelength-division multiplexed passive optical network (TWDM-PON) for next-generation passive optical network stage 2 (NG-PON2)

“…It has been widely considered as a preferred technology to implement various FTTX solutions which deliver high bandwidth to the users at low cost and energy per bit. PON is considered as a P2MP fiber optical network with no active elements in the signal's path, which connects OLT with several ONUs at the customer sites, which is done through one or more 1: N optical splitters [14,15]. It uses a passive fiber tree topology to maximize the coverage, allows flexibility, and minimizes the number of network splitting, thus reducing the optical power loss and increasing the physical reach [10].…”

“…There are four types of PONs for low-cost implementation to support the necessity of broadband access services, namely B-PON, G-PON, A-PON and E-PON [2,14,16,17,8].…”

Modular Approach for Modelling the Hybrid Multi-Hop Backhaul Performance

“…In practice, though, backhaul connections are often hybrid in addition to being heterogeneous. References [4] and [5] focus on fibre-based backhaul performance modelling. In these works, analytical models for the delay incurred and availability in various topologies are proposed.…”

Transmission priority scheme with adaptive backoff technique in fiber-wireless networks

“…Fiber-wireless (Fi-Wi) networks combine the capacity of optical fiber networks with the ubiquity and mobility of wireless networks [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. The use of energy-efficient and stable passive optical splitters makes them the favored choice among other fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technologies.…”