GPON – Frequently Asked Questions

Question - Can a GPON be installed when Dynamic Bandwidth allocation is required?

Answer – Yes,

A GPON solution has both Dynamic Bandwidth allocation (DBA) and fixed bandwidth allocation.

We use DBA for services like Internet and shared data services.

However, when allocating bandwidth for telephone services and mission critical services, we use fixed bandwidth allocation to permanently reserve the bandwidth.

Question - Are there any disadvantages when using a GPON cabling solution in a hotel or office building when Time Division Multiplexing is used?

Answer – No,

Any technology will have maximum capacity.

This argument is the same as “the switch capacity is 1G because the maximum interface speed is 1G”.

The same TDMA is used to deliver 10GPON and N-GPON. We have NG-PON2 which is based on TWDM which combines TDMA and WDMA and hits 40Gbps throughput.

A developer should not be concerned about GPON compatibility with Time Division Multiplexing. (It’s like worrying about what kind of modulation is used by a 4G signal from a mobile cell tower to each particular call on your mobile phone).

Question - Is it difficult to manage the room level and port security with a GPON installation?

Answer – No,

This is one of the advantages of a GPON solution.

A GPON solution can bundle a wide variety of services and SLA to the room level and port level.

You can lock down access to a particular MAC or group of MACs, and user isolation is inbuilt in a GPON solution.

Question - What is the cost comparison between a GPON and traditional Category 6 cabling?

Answer,

A GPON solution can reduce your cabling expenditure by up to 41%.

The GPON solution cost savings include materials, energy consumption, reduced floor space, and less electrical equipment.

Question - GPON is not good at handling multiple data feeds and bidirectional real time flow of data is required between different system.

Answer – Not true.

Using GPON, PON Projects have delivered concurrently Data, ELAN, Phone (POTS, SIP, IP Phones), IPTV, VOD, RFoG, BMS (Building Management Services), EMS (Energy Management Services), Back Ground Music, Conference bridges (Audio and Video) and many more services.

Other than IPTV and RFoG, all those services are bidirectional real time flow. I am sure you would consider them as multiple data feeds.

Question - GPON - Lack of greater visibility and control for network functions for Hotel manager and brand owner

Answer – Incorrect.

Training can be provide for use and management of the GPON system.

It is not closed off from the hotel manager or brand owner (unless the integrator does this?).

More to the point, even if the GPON system itself is managed only by the integrator, the GPON system is providing a layer 2 network only, and is therefore entirely transparent in terms of hotel IT systems.

Question - GPON was developed as passive technology, great for residential use and scattered locations requiring connectivity.

Answer – Incorrect.

GPON and PON technology was originally developed  for global telecommunications carriers.

End users have discovered  benefits of GPON and PON cabling.

End Users experienced that GPON cabling;

  • Increase port bandwidth,
  • Reduce IT CapEx cost.
  • Reduce IT OpEx cost,
  • Provide high a level of security, 128bit encryption,
  • Reduce IT floor space,
  • Reduce IT cabinet requirements,
  • Provide scalability, without the need to increase IT real estate or equipment cost.

Globally telecommunication carriers in almost every major country are providing more services via GPON or XGS-PON, not traditional ethernet.

End Users include;

  • Aged Care providers
  • Defence bases – this is a standard cabling requirement at all US military sites,
  • Governments – this is a standard cabling for all federal buildings,
  • Hospitals
  • Hotel operators
  • Schools
  • Universities

Major standards bodies such as BICSI endorse GPON + PON technologies and there are many publicly available BICSI presentations available most of which can be accessed via our web site.