10G-PON

10G-PON (also known as XG-PON) is a 2010 computer networking standard for data links, capable of delivering shared Internet access rates up to 10 Gbit/s (gigabits per second) over existing dark fiber. This is the ITU-T's next generation standard following on from G-PON or Gigabit-capable PON. Optical fibre is shared by many subscribers in a network known as FTTx in a way that centralises most of the telecommunications equipment, often displacing copper phone lines that connect premises to the phone exchange. Passive optical network (PON) architecture has become a cost-effective way to meet performance demands in access networks, and sometimes also in large optical local networks for 'Fibre-to-the-desk'. 10G-PON (also known as XG-PON) is a 2010 computer networking standard for data links, capable of delivering shared Internet access rates up to 10 Gbit/s (gigabits per second) over existing dark fiber. This is the ITU-T's next generation standard following on from G-PON or Gigabit-capable PON. Optical fibre is shared by many subscribers in a network known as FTTx in a way that centralises most of the telecommunications equipment, often displacing copper phone lines that connect premises to the phone exchange. Passive optical network (PON) architecture has become a cost-effective way to meet performance demands in access networks, and sometimes also in large optical local networks for 'Fibre-to-the-desk'. Passive optical networks are used for the 'Fibre-to-the-home' or 'Fibre-to-the-premises' last mile with splitters that connect each central transmitter to many subscribers. The 10 Gbit/s shared capacity is the downstream speed broadcast to all users connected to the same PON, and the 2.5 Gbit/s upstream speed uses multiplexing techniques to prevent data frames from interfering with each other. Users have a network device that converts optical signals to the signals used in building wiring, such as Ethernet and wired analogue plain old telephone service. As demand for network speed continues to grow, so new and faster technologies are spawned from the existing standards. 10G-PON is the next generation ultra-fast capability for G-PON providers, designed to coexist with installed G-PON user equipment on the same network; an example of Nielsen's law predicting demand for data downloads to double every year. The ITU-T completed parts of the standard in 2010. 10G-PON may initially find uses in connecting fibre nodes within multi-tenant units and commercial buildings. Triple play services over IP of video, data and voice are often cited as driving user demand for heavier usage of broadband that justifies PON investment. While RF overlay has been popular in some countries and minimises congestion caused by usage of video services, the convergence of HDTV and IPTV, and the growth in internet cloud services could create demand for bandwidth that exceeds the capacity of gigabit services in future. Teleworking and video conferencing are other applications demanding such triple play capabilities. Examples of bandwidth-intensive applications include IPTV, video-conferencing, interactive video, online interactive gaming, peer-to-peer networking, karaoke-on-demand, IP video surveillance, and cloud applications where remote storage and computing resources provide online service on demand to users with thin-client local systems. Cloud applications could take advantage of in-country content hosting, and 10GPON may encourage explosive development of innovative services that become feasible as users move to faster connections. Business continuity systems may also take advantage of 10GPON to enable cost-effective real-time backup/recovery/replication of critical business systems across multiple sites. Other businesses may just need to connect several sites as a virtual private network, effectively a virtual office, or may have e-commerce services that require business partners to have sufficient connectivity for constant database access.