Full Service Access Network Group Highlights Service Layer Interoperability Progress at GPON Interop Event.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Full Service Access Network (FSAN) Group today announced that several vendors of Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network (G-PON) equipment have successfully demonstrated service level interoperability.

According to Kent McCammon, AT&T, Chair of the FSAN Optical Access Network Working Group, the organization has led the advancement of PON technology for many years. McCammon said one of the most important achievements was the pioneering the development of the G.984 series of ITU-T Recommendations, the basis of the G-PON system. The ITU G.984 G-PON standard enables line rates of 2.5 Gbps in the downstream (central office to customer) direction and 1.2 Gbps in the upstream (customer to central office) direction to handle the bandwidth requirements for services like HD IPTV, online-gaming, Ethernet services, VoIP and TDM over fiber. In addition it offers more efficient IP and Ethernet handling.

The FSAN together with the ITU have been hosting a series of B-PON and G-PON interoperability events over the years. The most recent G-PON interoperability event, which was hosted by the independent test laboratory, KTL in Santa Clara, Calif., involved voice, data and IPTV testing between the following system vendors: Calix, Cambridge Industries Group, Entrisphere, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Huawei, Iamba Networks, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, Siemens, Terawave. Shenick provided IPTV and data testing with Quality of Experience (QoE) and performance assessment. Spirent provided its triple play test solution to verify voice, video, and data service performance and functionality with 'real world' scenarios. Corning provided the complete Optical Distribution Network (ODN) for the event, including the optical fiber, cable, splitters, cabinet, terminal distribution system, and connectorized drop cables.

The multi-vendor G-PON systems were used to transport voice, data and IPTV between the optical networking terminals (ONTs) and the Optical Line Terminals (OLTs). Service provisioning of triple-play services was done via the ONT management and control interface (OMCI). Detailed test cases where used to verify quality and performance of services in a multi-vendor environment.

"We are very pleased with the achievement of VoIP and IPTV as well as other services working across a mix of vendor equipment," according to Michael Brusca, Verizon Communications, Chair FSAN Interoperability Task Group. "We have overcome the challenge of OMCI interoperability that built on our previous physical layer testing, within a year after specifying its enhancements. G-PON is now mature and ready for mass deployment."

"We are actively supporting FSAN and the ITU-T in their endeavor to achieve interoperability for GPON equipment. Interoperability will help drive down costs and leverage innovation in the customer termination space," said Don Clarke, 21CN chief access designer for BT Wholesale.

"The ITU promotes open standards to ensure continued interoperability and is planning a public G-PON Interop Showcase at ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 this December in Hong Kong," said Dave Faulkner, BT, Rapporteur, ITU-T Q2/15.