Comparison of Multi-Operator PON Technologies beyond NG-PON2: A Real Greenfield Case-Study

Passive optical network FTTH is the best option to guarantee ultra-broadband access and satisfy future-proof user demands. NG-PON2 standardization does not yet consider in a conclusive way the possibility of sharing the same PON among different operators in order to make the network economically sustainable. The Italian research project ROAD-NGN is filling the gap by studying various advanced PON technologies that support unbundling. These include non-coherent TDM/WDM, coherent DWDM, and optical and electrical OFDM. In this paper, we compare these technologies on the ground of a real case-study: the city of L'Aquila, struck by a recent earthquake and needing complete reconstruction of the buried metro-access network.