Best Practices and Lessons Learned Installing and Testing Fiber in Broadband Networks (FTTx – RFoG)

Abstract:
The data Tsunami has reached Europe and fiber is the media which is giving the end-users the real “wow!-feeling”. Fiber is getting into or very close to the homes to enable the high speed connectivity. But now “power point is meeting reality”. Installations are done not anymore in the traditional well protected Telco ecosystem. Fibers are installed in harsh environment which is not very fiber friendly. Dirty connectors, bent fibers, poor documentation are some examples for the real challenges. And there are not enough fiber experts available for a mass roll out. Education of field engineers is the real road blocker to overcome. Modern test and measurement has a high responsibility securing that the physical layer is installed and maintained professionally by non experts. Of course high accuracy is still mandatory but it is even more important that the test tools adapt to the skill set of the users and guide the installers and maintenance engineers through the workflow. Automatic pass-fail, homogenous documentation and minimized test times are important for a successful mass roll out of the fiber for FTTx and RFoG. With the migration towards XG-PON and TWDM-PON new test requirements will emerge. Due to multiple players in the broadband ecosystem a clear demarcation in responsibilities is another essential task for test and management systems. This paper will summarize the lessons learned around fiber test and measurement in Asia and the US during B-PON/GPON/ RFOG roll outs and will give recommendations for best practices and workflow optimization which are also valid for NG-PON.