2015 24th Wireless and Optical Communication Conference (WOCC)

Analysis and Demonstrate of G/EPON Coexisting

with NG-PON
Feng-Ming Hsu, Hai-Lin Wang, Yin-Hsun Huang, Ho-Chun Lin, Tsung-Mou Chen, Rong-Ruey Lee
Broadband Networks Laboratory
Telecommunication Laboratories, Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd.
Yang-Mei, Taoyuan, Taiwan 326, R.O.C.
Email: vincent_hsu@cht.com.tw

Abstract—This paper demonstrates the coexistence of next
generation PON (NG-PON) systems with legacy PON systems for
CHT’s network by commercial coexistence element (CEx).
Because there are GPON and EPON in CHT’s network, we will
show the impact to legacy PON systems by using this commercial
CEx and how we modify it.
Keywords—Coexistence element; CEx; GPON; EPON; NG-
PON; ODN;
Chunghwa Telecommunication has deployed GPON and
EPON as the access networks, so the NG-PON must be
coexisted with both GPON and EPON to decrease the
migration cost and accelerate the infrastructure cost recovery.
In this paper we demonstrate that XG-PON can be coexist
with EPON by using commercial CEx component. And we
modify some parameters of commercial CEx to let it become
more appropriate to CHT networks.

I. INTRODUCTION II. CHARACTERISTICS ANALYSIS

As the increase of network services and bandwidth demand,
operators look for some new network technologies that can
provide higher capacity and flexibility to support some high
average revenue per user (ARPU) services [1], like 4K/8K
UHDTV, 3D gaming, mobile backhaul/fronthaul (MBH/MFH),
etc. Full Service Access Network (FSAN) and International
Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) organizations define the
NG-PON system [2] to support four kinds of key applications:
(1) multi-dwelling units (MDUs) FTTB, (2) enterprises video
conference and cloud-based file backup, (3) backhaul of
VDSL2 vectoring and G.fast micronodes, (4) MBH and MFH
[1]. According to the research of Infonetics, the percentage of
service providers planning to offer 1Gbps bandwidth to
residential subscribers will rise from 15% in 2015 to 40% by
2017 [3]. Following the market trend and the bandwidth
demand; it’s imperative to import the NG-PON system. NG-
PON system includes XG-PON, TWDM-PON and PtP WDM,
all of these technologies are planned to coexist with the legacy
PONs and transmit through the same ODN as shown in Fig. 1
[4].
As we know the GPON/NG-PON (FSAN/ITU-T) and
EPON (IEEE) were defined by different international standard
organizations. It is important to consider will the wavelength
plan of these PON systems cause the interference when
coexisting in the same ODN. The wavelength plan of G/EPON
and NG-PON are show in Table I, the upstream wavelength
plan may be overlaid between EPON and XG-PON. For this
reason, we should know the characteristics of the CEx, EPON
and XG-PON before the experiment of coexistence.
A. CEx
Because the CEx for EPON and XG-PON coexistence is
not available, we use a commercial CEx for the experiment
which is designed for GPON and XG-PON coexistence. Its
characteristics are shown in Table II.
B. EPON
The measurement result of EPON upstream optical
spectrum is shown in Fig. 2(a). Based on the Fabry-Perot (FP)
laser, the upstream wavelength range of EPON ONU is quite
large from 1312.4 nm to 1326.4 nm.

TABLE I. WAVELENGTH PLAN OF G/EPON AND NG-PON

TWDM- PtP
EPON GPON XG-PON
PON WDM
1480 nm 1480 nm 1575 nm 1596 nm
DS ~ ~ ~ ~
1603 nm
1550 nm 1500 nm 1580 nm 1603 nm
~
1260 nm 1290 nm 1260 nm 1524 nm
1625 nm
US ~ ~ ~ ~
1360 nm 1330 nm 1280 nm 1544 nm

C. XG-PON
The measurement result of XG-PON upstream optical
Fig. 1. Architecture for NG-PON coexistence with legacy PONs spectrum is shown in Fig. 2(b). Based on the Distributed

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 2015 24th Wireless and Optical Communication Conference (WOCC)

feedback (DFB) laser, the upstream center wavelength of XG- A. Upstream transmission of EPON
PON ONU is 1271.6 nm with 0.15 nm as a 20-dB line width. The optical spectrum from GPON port of CEx is shown in
Fig. 4(a), the insertion loss is around 10 dB because the
TABLE II. CHARACTERISTICS OF CEX upstream optical spectrum of EPON is cut off partially. The
optical spectrum from XG-PON port of CEx is shown in Fig.
Insertion Return
Ports Passband Range
Loss
Isolation
Loss
4(b), the spectral power is below -40 dBm from 1260 nm to
DS 1480 nm ~ 1500 nm 1.81 dB 1280 nm.
GPON >30 dB >60 dB
US 1300 nm ~ 1320 nm 1.54 dB
XG- DS 1575 nm ~ 1580 nm 0.87 dB
>30 dB >60 dB
PON US 1260 nm ~ 1280 nm 0.65 dB

Fig. 3. Experimental architecture of XG-PON coexist with EPON

B. Upstream transmission of XG-PON

The optical spectrum from XG-PON ONU is shown in Fig.
5, the spectral power in 1290 nm is below -40 dBm.
(a)

(a)
(b)

Fig. 2. Upstream optical spectrum of (a)EPON and (b)XG-PON

III. EXPERIMENTAL ARCHITECTURE AND RESULTS

The measurement results of section II shows two important
things that may fail the coexistence between EPON and XG-
PON. First, EPON upstream signal will be cut off partially
when transmit through GPON port of CEx. Second, although
the spectrum position between EPON and XG-PON are
separated without overlay, we still need to check whether the
out-of -band power of EPON and XG-PON interfere each other.
The experimental architecture is shown in Fig. 3. EPON
(b)
OLT is connected to the GPON port of CEx and XG-PON
OLT is connected to the XG-PON port of CEx. The common Fig. 4. Upstream optical spectrum from (a)GPON port of CEx (b)XG-PON
port of CEx is connected to the 1:2 power splitter directly for port of CEx
the back-to-back measurement. EPON and XG-PON ONUs are
connected to the 1: 2 power splitter directly. The experimental Finally, EPON and XG-PON can work normally in this
results are show in below. experimental architecture. From the experimental results, we

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need to modify the pass band range of GPON port of CEx to

1290 nm ~ 1330 nm for decreasing the insertion loss of EPON.
And due to the low spectral power of both EPON and XG-PON,
they can coexist in the same ODN without interference.

Fig. 5. Upstream optcial spectrum from XG-PON ONU

IV. CONCLUSIONS
This paper successfully demonstrates EPON and XG-
PON can coexist in the same ODN by using CEx. And we
can optimize the characteristics of CEx by the experimental
results. This concept also can be used for TWDM-PON and
PtP WDM which like to coexist with GPON or EPON. In the
second quarter of this year, we held a lab trial with the NG-
PON2 vendor to test the system performance of GPON
coexisting with TWDM-PON. The TWDM-PON channels
and GPON channel can be combined/split by CEx and the
services (ex: High Speed Internet, MOD, etc.) work normally
which are provided by TWDM-PON system and GPON
system. With the help of CEx, operators can provide multiple
services and re-use the ODN in order to decrease the
network migration cost.

REFERENCES
[1] J. Kunstler, “TWDM PON is on the horizon,” ovum, Octorber 2014.
[2] Jun-Ichi Kani et. al., “Next-Generation PON—Part I: Technology
Roadmap and General Requirements,” IEEE Communications
Magazine, vol. 47, issue 11, pp. 43-49, November 2009.
[3] Infonetics Research, VDSL, G.fast, and Next Gen FTTH Strategies
and Vendor Leadership: Global Service Provider Survey, December
2014.
[4] http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.989.1-201303-I/en

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