GPON and EPON Comparison

GPON and EPON Comparison

PON Protocols

There are many PON protocols and standards defined by the ITU organisation with varying levels of maturity. The three main ones which are BPON, EPON and GPON. The main differences between them lie in the protocols used for upstream and downstream communications.

EPON and GPON are popular standards of passive optical networks (PONs). These short-haul networks of fiber optic cable can be used for Internet access, voice over IP, and digital TV delivery in towns and cities. Other uses include backhaul connections for cellular basestations, Wi-Fi hotspots, and even distributed antenna systems (DAS). This paper describes EPON and GPON comparison mainly from two aspects of Ethernet technology and the cost of EPON OLT & GPON ONT:

Technology Comparison

EPON and GPON both are international standards. They cover the same network topology methods and FTTx applications including FTTH/FTTB/FTTO/FTTB; incorporate the same WDM technology, delivering the same wavelength both upstream and downstream plus a 3rd party wavelength; and supply triple-play, IPTV and CATV video services.

Additionally, there are some differences between EPON and GPON. EPON, founded on Ethernet technology, is compliant with the IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet in the First Mile standard that is now merged into the IEEE Standard 802.3-2005. It is a solution for the "first mile" optical access network. GPON, conversely, is an essential solution to enable full service access network. Its requirements were set force by the Full Service Access Network (FASN) group, which has been adopted by ITU-T as the G.984.x standards-an addition to ITU-T recommendation, G.983, which details broadband PON (BPON).

The Cost of EPON OLT & GPON ONT

xPON, as a FTTH technology, is a great solution to deliver last-mile broadband access. The optical line terminal (OLT), optical network unit (ONU), optical network termination (ONT) and optical distribution network (ODN), which comprise a PON system, decide the costs of EPON and GPON deployments.

An ODN consists of fiber cable, cabinet, optical splitter, connector, and etc. For the same number of users, the expense for the fiber and cabinet with EPON is similar to by using GPON.

The cost of EPON OLT and GPON ONT is determined by the ASIC and optic module. The GPON chipsets available in the market are generally based on FPGA, which is more costly compared to EPON MAC layer ASIC. There are just several chipset vendors who are able to provide GPON chipsets, and it is improbable that the price of GPON equipment can decline rapidly. The optical module of GPON is also more expensive than EPON. When GPON reaches deployment stage, the estimated cost of a GPON OLT is 1.5 to 2 times higher than an EPON OLT, and the estimated cost of a GPON ONT will be 1.2 to 1.5 times higher than an EPON ONT.

Summary

Telecommunications companies use PONs to provide triple-play services including TV, VoIP phone, and Internet service to subscribers. The benefit is much higher data rates that are essential to video distribution and other Internet services. The low cost of passive components means simpler systems with fewer components that fail or require maintenance. Fiberstore is a company for OEM optical network solution, which is launched a series of integrated, high reliability and affordable EPON/GPON/ODN splitter solutions for customers to meet with fast growing demand of PON deployment. For more information about EPON and GPON products please visite this website: GPON ONT Equipment