Lessons Learned:

FTTH/PON Network
Deployment & Maintenance
Today’s Presenters

Denise Culver Charlene Roux

Online Research Director Global Product Line Manager OTDR
Heavy Reading VIAVI
FTTH/PON: Still A Hot Commodity

• Service providers around the globe continue to focus

significant resources on building out new FTTH/PON locations
• AT&T plans 3.5 million FTTH deployments for 2018
• Vodafone and CityFibre providing FTTH to 5 million UK
homes and businesses

• 5G buildout will rely on fiber to make good on its promises to

carry massive amounts of data
• SK Telecom using 5G-PON for 5G, LTE and fiber. Deployed
in 227 central office terminals currently.
FTTH/PON: Installation Issues Are Real

• Impressive numbers in headlines ≠ reality

• High-level changes at the corporate level lead to problems

• M&A activity combines networks and technologies that
don’t always play well together
• Insufficient investment into training existing workforce
• Unwilling to acquire new talent that’s better trained but
more expensive
• Flat or decreased investment into service assurance, test
and measurement
Charlene Roux
Product Line Manager, OTDR

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High-Speed Broadband Solutions

FTTx Topologies

CO

ADSL & ADSL2+ 20Mb/s

RT
Same VDSL topology
VDSL2
100 – 200
(Bonded) Mb/s
Super
DSLAM
VDSL2 Vectoring
New cards
(Vectored)

250Mbps-
DP G.FAST
1Gb/s
U
G.fast

Splitt FTTH 2.5Gb/s +

GPON
er FTTH

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High-Speed Broadband Solutions
RFoG

HFC – DOCSIS 3.1 – Fiber Deep

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Next-Generation PON Standards

• Limitations with current G-PON/GE-PON standards

• Standards have been defined by ITU & IEEE:

G-PON XGS-PON NG-PON2 GE-PON 10G-EPON 100G-EPON

(sym)

ITU-T ITU-T ITU-T IEEE IEEE IEEE

Standards G.984 G.9807.1 G.989 802.3ah 802.3av 802.3ca
(2003) (2016) (2015) (2004) (2009) (2019 TBD)

DS / US 2.4 / 1.2 10 / 10 40 / 10 1.25/1.25 10 / 10 Up to

Data Rates GBps GBps GBps GBps GBps 100 /100
Splitting up to 1:64
up to 1:128 (256) up to 1:64 up to 1:128 Tbd
Ratio (128)
G.652 / G.657 (for new
Fiber Type G.652 G.652 G.652 / G.657 (for new inst.)
inst.)

Max Loss 32 dB 35 dB 35 dB 29 dB 29 dB Tbd

Co-existence N/A YES with G-PON N/A Yes with GE-PON

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Passive Optical Network (G-PON)
Single Split

Cascaded Split
Splitter Typical
Insertion
Loss
1:2 3-4 dB
1:4 6-8 dB
1:8 10-11 dB
1 : 16 12-14 dB
1 : 32 15-17 dB
1 : 64 18-21 dB

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Global Service Provider Experiences Shared with VIAVI

Real-world Challenges

• Fibres are installed in harsh environments

(dirty cellars, next to water/gas pipes, etc.)
• Easy and robust installation required
(fibres with reduced bend sensitivity,
pre-assembled cables, etc.)
• Workflow efficiency is critical to
achieve fast, profitable deployment. No re-visits!
• There are insufficient fibre experts available for a realistic FTTH roll out
o Test instruments need to be super simple to use without special training
• Tight control and management of contractors required

www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 10

Current and NG-PON Challenges
1. Connector cleanliness
2. Transposed Fibers
Challen 3. Typical split ratio: 1:64 (1:256 max) -
cascaded splitters

ges 4. More complex network elements (CEx,

WDM)
5. Signal
1.Time wavelengths
- large amount inof L-Band (tighter
fiber optic
bend constraints)
connectors to be tested
2.Incorrect ONT allocation
Constraints 3.Loss budget
4.Not enough fiber experts/Many different
contractors
5.Fiber – Delay in rollout
laying and handling
1.Poor installation
planning
2.Failing to turn up customer services
Impacts 3.Service failures due to excess optic loss
and network evolutions
4.Customer churn

www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 11

Points of Vulnerability in an FTTH network

Low to High
Low vulnerability
(But will affect many Medium vulnerability
customers) (Affects many
vulnerability interactions)

Dirty connectors

ONT ONT
Misalignment
Dirty or damaged
connectors
Micro-bends ONT ONT

ONT ONT

Central Splitter Hub

1
Office
OLT

Bad splice Cross

Broken fiber
connection Macro-bends
Damaged splitter

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Fiber Management is Key
Looking for small changes? Fiber management matters!

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Bending Constraints – Impact on NG-PON
Fiber loss due to macro bending vs wavelength G.652D
1. R=10 mm
5

G.657B
1. R=7.5 mm
0
Attenuation (dB)

0.
5 According to
G.657B Verizon, radius
0.2 R=10 mm around corners can
5 go down <10 mm
G.652D
0 R=15 mm
1270 1310 1490 1550 1577 1600 1625 Wavelength (nm)
G-PON NG-PON2 XGS- NG-PON2
DS US PON DS
DS
PtP WDM

• XGS-PON or NG-PON2 new construction is similar to G-PON with a special focus on loss
induced by fiber bending
• Longer wavelengths > higher sensitivity to macrobend (in house cabling!)
- Use of G.657B bend insensitive fiber (works down to 10 mm radius)
• ODN characterization at 1625 nm will become a strong requirement

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Service Delivery: Preventing Dirt

Problem:
Problem:

• Optical budget at the drop is

too high

• No care was taken around

connector hygiene

• Many first time delivery issues

Solution:
Solution:
• Proactive Inspection and Cleaning Approach

• Improved First Time turn up by 40%

www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 15

Inspect Before You Connect

1 Inspect 2 Clean 3 Re-inspect 4 Connect

FAIL

3.0um
2.4um

8.6um

Dirt, oil, pits, Subjective Inspection Objective Inspection

scratches not seen

IEC 61300-3-35 Sets Requirements for Connector Quality

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Construction & Acceptance Testing - Feeder

Two-Person Team:

Central Feeder cable

Office

OLT ODF

One-Person Team:

Central Office Feeder cable

OLT ODF

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Construction & Acceptance Testing
Splitter and Distribution
Feeder Distribution

Centralized Splitter Drop Terminal

Central (1:N)
Office

OLT FDF

Improve efficiency and user experience with fully automated fiber

qualification tests:
• Continuity check
• Bi-directional insertion loss (IL) 1310/1550 nm
• Bi-directional optical return loss (ORL) 1310/1550 nm
• OTDR event characterization: splices, connectors, and splitters
• Distance to fault

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Acceptance Testing
Single OTDR – End-to-End
• Test through splitters with the OTDR to provide:
− Insertion loss measurement (use of launch and receive cables)
− Splitter characterization
− Overall link length
• Construction done by contractors, requires a simple OTDR test mode

ONT OLT
Side Side
Launch cable Splitter 1:8 Splitter
1:8
Receive cable

S S S

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Patching Customers Correctly

Issue with Customer ID…?

OLT-1

Implement a continuity
test during installation
phase

OLT-2

If continuity is not checked during installation phase:

• Incorrect connections will not be found until ONT is turned-up > dispatch
• A customer who has been patched incorrectly might be brought down >
customer dissatisfaction
Continuity tests reduce OPEX and customer dissatisfaction

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Identify OLT (PON) & ONU Interconnections

PON-ID Message
• ODN class ( B+, C+, … )
• Knowing PON-class will define max
loss and min/max power levels
• Transmitted optical level from OLT
• Enables auto loss test
• Identification of OLT (customized)
• Location of OLT on rack/card

ONU Activation Process

• Identification of ONT/ONU
• ONU-ID
• Serial # (Reg-ID)

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Identify OLT (PON) & ONU Interconnections

Solution
• PON power meter with capability to
• Analyze and evaluate PON-ID
• Auto test modes with auto
pass/fail analysis initialized
by PON-ID
• Provide fiber inspection
capabilities and auto-
reporting capability

www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 22

Troubleshooting FTTH Network Using OTDR

Feeder Distribution
TB
Central Splitter
Office

OLT FDF

In-service Test Wavelength 1625 vs. 1650 nm

• Out-of-band Fault Finding without • 1625nm OTDR provides G-PON
disturbing the traffic: further away from troubleshooting capability but not
the longest transmission wavelengths future proof
(G-PON 1550nm, NG-PON 1603 nm, • 1650nm mandatory for RFoG or
NG-PON2 to prevent disturbing
RFoG 1610nm) traffic wavelengths
• Test from the premises to the central
office
• The OTDR has to be filtered to only
see its backscattered signal at
1625nm or 1650nm

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A Centralized Solution not ONLY FOR Maintenance

Maintenance
Construction Provisioning
• Shorter mean time to
• Certified network • Instantaneous
repair
qualification subscriber
qualification • Demarcation
• Automatic method between ONT and
and procedure • Automatic method
Fiber fault
and procedure
• Automatic network • Dispatch to fix not to
inventory update • Subscriber self-install
understand
enablement
• Network construction • Pro-active
tracking • Measurements are
maintenance
certified

www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 24

ONMSi: Keep Contractors under Control…
Faster and more reliable network construction
and provisioning with fewer technicians.
Splitter
WDM

Reflectors

1650nm
Process Flow: Doing it right First time Only a Phone is
required

Test Unit at Central Office
Web Clients
1. Field tech enters an id that identifies the PON branch
2. The OTDR and switch are allocated for this user
3. User installs the reflector and starts the measurement
4. Measurement done remotely with Centralized OTDR
5. Measurements stored in database: Length, IL
6. If results are accepted by the tech, the peak is marked as a
reference
7. If the PON is in operation the reflector is left otherwise it is removed

ONMS Main
Server

All the tests are

stored in ONMSi DB

www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 25

Test & Measurement Requirements
• Qualify and document optical distribution network (ODN) of a PON
• Make sure power levels meet standards specification and reporting of
proper installation
Construction Phase PON Service Activation Phase

Fiber characterization Connector Inspection µSCOPE

fiber, splices, connectors, splitters OTDR
Downstream power
Qualification of installed measurements with PON PM
equipments – optical loss test, OLTS, ORL wavelength
optical return loss test. (Bi-dir) selective power meter
• Video @ 1550 nm
µSCOPE • GPON @ 1490 nm
Connector end face certification • NG-PON2 @ 1598-1603 nm

Upstream power
Documentation and reporting Instrument
/ Cloud measurement with ‘through- PON PM
App mode’, wavelength selective
power meter
• GPON @ 1310 nm
• NG-PON2 @ 1524-1544 nm

Documentation and reporting Instrument

/ Cloud
App
www.viavisolutions.com © 2016 Viavi Solutions Inc. 26
Summary

• Proper care of fiber cabling

- Dressing of cables
• Bends, crushing, etc
- Capping unconnected fibers
- Inspect Before You Connect!
• Having, and following established procedures – consistency of contract
and internal work force
• Cable layout – documentation of as-built with “birth certificate”
• Correct routing of fibers – from splitter and hub (PON-ID)
• Technical skills/training – pre-defined test procedures, including pass/fail
criteria and set-up parameters.
• Centralized monitoring/testing of fiber portion of PON network (one fiber
fault can affect many customers)

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Thank You
VIAVIsolutions.com/FTTH

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Q&A