UPGRADING OF PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK

摘要

A single fibre passive optical network (PON) wavelength division multiplex (WDM) overlay includes a central office (16), a fibre optic network (18-23), and a plurality of optical network termination (ONT) units (12, 14). The central office (16) has a baseline optical link that receives a baseline communication signal and converts the baseline communication signal into a downstream baseline optical signal within a first optical bandwidth, and has an additional optical link that receives a second type of communication signal and converts the second type of communication signal into a second downstream optical signal within a second optical bandwidth. The downstream baseline optical signal generated by the baseline optical link is combined with the second optical signal generated by the additional optical link to generate a broadband optical signal. The fibre optic network (18-23) is coupled to the central office and receives the broadband optical signal on at least one optic fibre. The fibre optic network splits the broadband optical signal to a plurality of fibre drops. The optical network termination (ONT) units are each coupled to a fibre drop. At least one of the ONT units is a baseline ONT unit (12) that receives the broadband optical signal form the fibre drop and splits the downstream baseline optical signal from the broadband optical signal, and at least one other of the ONT units (14) is an upgraded ONT unit that receives the broadband optical signal from the fibre drop and splits the downstream baseline optical signal and the signal and the second downstream optical signals from the broadband optical signal. In addition, the installation of the upgraded ONT unit to the PON does not effect baseline optical service to any other ONT unit.