Now for some advanced networking: If you do not bring IP nodes close to the subscribers, or you want to resell PON subscribers to other wholesale carriers, you might need a transport network (you could also call it Metro Ethernet) to transport subscriber data to a handover point with your IP equipment or other wholesale carriers.

This article will focus on the active technology in PON networks: ONTs, OLTs, transceivers, wavelengths used, throughput and the potential placement of active network elements in a PON network.

Part 3 describes the principles of PON and how it differs from P2P networks. In this part we concentrate on the passive (i.e.) fiber network.

Active or Point-to-Point access networks are introduced and described in more detail. You can read about a generic network design, some abbreviations will be explained and you will see a fiber path from a building up to the first aggregation node where active network equipment is hosted.

Introduction to a series of posts about access networks in general, and PON networks specifically. This series will highlight differences in network designs between different fiber based access networks, without going too much into basics; this is where the "Network Engineer" part comes in. Some knowledge in networks is required, but not necessarily in access network technologies.