FTTH – FIBER TO THE HOME

Fiber to the home (FTTH), also called “fiber to the premises” (FTTP), is the installation and use of optical fiber from a central point directly to individual buildings such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses to provide unprecedented high-speed Internet access. FTTH dramatically increases the connection speeds available to computer users compared with technologies now used in most places.

 While FTTH promises connection speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) — 20 to 100 times as fast as a typical cable modem or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connection — implementing FTTH on a large scale will be costly because it will require installation of new cable sets over the “last links” from existing optical fiber cables to individual users. Some communities currently enjoy “fiber to the curb” (FTTC) service, which refers to the installation and use of optical fiber cable to the curbs near homes or businesses, with a “copper” medium carrying the signals between the curb and the end users.

OLT (Optical Line Terminal) 

The main function of OLT is to control the information float across the ODN, going both directions, while being located in a central office. Maximum distance supported for transmitting across the ODN is 20 km. OLT has two float directions: upstream (getting an distributing different type of data and voice traffic from users) and downstream (getting data, voice and video traffic from metro network or from a long-haul network and send it to all ONT modules on the ODN.

 ONT (Optical Network Terminal )

Its purpose is to use optical fiber for connecting to the PON on the one side, while interfacing with customers on the other side. ONT supports wide variety of interfaces, depending on requirements of customer: 

• Digital video formats
• Analog video formats
• ATM interfaces (155 Mbps)
• DS3 or E3 telephone connections (44.736 or 34.368 Mbps)
• T1 or E1 (1.544 or 2.048 Mbps)
• Various Ethernet rates