POINT-TO-POINT DEEP FIBER ACCESS Dedicated broadband with Ericsson EDA 1200 Fiber Solutions
It’s no exaggeration to say that optical fiber has now begun to replace the copper loop as the preferred access medium for fixed access networks. And this is a trend that will continue for decades to come. One option is to deploy active Ethernet all the way to the end user. With point-to-point (P2P) fiber, each end user gets a dedicated connection that will meet future upgrade requirements and can provide unlimited and symmetric bandwidth. Other key benefits are high scalability and service transparency, which means the ability to provide any service irrespective of other users in the network. P2P fiber also offers optimal security as each line is dedicated to a single end user – a feature required by many large businesses.
An attractive long-term business case A fiber access plant is a valuable asset that should be considered as a long-term investment. Some incumbent operators have already built Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) networks to support their IPTV offers. Even though FTTH requires a considerable upfront investment, upgrades to active FTTH systems have often proven to be the most attractive business case – from a perspective on the future. P2P fiber is especially cost-effective for greenfield sites, where investment in new access infrastructure is already required. Compared to copper and hybrid fibercoax networks, OPEX will be considerably lower as P2P fiber enables fewer and more centralized sites with no
need for active equipment in street cabinets. This results in fewer site visits needed to maintain a network.
Suitable for open networks Today, P2P fiber is a mature technology that enables dedicated symmetric broadband speeds of 100 Mbps per end user moving towards 1 Gbps. P2P fiber is also the simplest way to deploy an open access network with active Ethernet technology and it provides optimal flexibility in terms of future bandwidth upgrades and unbundling. Our Full Service Broadband architecture supports a P2P deep fiber access solution that is based on the Ericsson EDA 1200 Fiber Solution. The EDA 1200 Fiber Solution is suitable for volume roll-outs and is in operation in several access networks, including large incumbent networks. Our solution is ideal for stepwise service provisioning and service bundling and provides symmetric bandwidth that can be configured in a range of distinct steps from 0.5 to 100 Mbps to each end user. P2P fiber means a considerable number of fibers terminate in the Central Office. This is not a major issue, as Ericsson’s solution includes micro cables with a high fiber count of up to 96 fibers. In addition, optical distribution frames (ODFs) and fiber management systems handle the fiber in an efficient and elegant manner. Our P2P fiber solution is extremely viable for open networks. Our goal is to assist both existing and new alternative operators in deploying open fiber access networks that are operator-neutral and that allow numerous service providers to compete in a network.
Complete deep fiber access offering Ericsson offers a complete solution for the planning, deploying and operating of P2P based deep fiber access networks. It includes passive fiber infrastructure, active
electronics (fiber access nodes, aggregation switches, customer premises equipment), indoor and outdoor site solutions and management systems. Also included are various consultancy and customer project services, network design, integration and implementation, hosting and managed services.
Installation at customer premises The following chapters describe the typical elements in a P2P deep fiber access solution from Ericsson. P2P fiber deployment in a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) will be used as an example. Installation of fiber to the individual apartments within the MDU can be done in two different ways. The first option is fiber to the building (FTTB) where a CAT5 fiber access node is placed centrally within the MDU, using Category 5 Ethernet cables to connect to each apartment. The second option is fiber all the way to the end user (FTTH/FTTP). In MDUs the fibers from end users (the drop network) need to be concentrated to distribution cables with higher fiber counts. This is done in a Fiber Access Terminal (FAT), which is usually placed where the ducts or cables change from indoor to outdoor, that is, in the basement or ground floor of the building or at the curb. For the drop network and distribution network, Ericsson offers traditional fiber cables as well as our air-blown fiber systems Ribbonet® and Micronet™. The fiber or CAT5 is terminated in each apartment. For FTTB, CAT5 terminates directly in the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). For FTTH, Ericsson offers a multi-purpose fiber optic termination box that can be completed with an optical/electrical media converter transforming the passive outlet into an active fiber optic user node. We also offer a number of residential gateways with support for different services.
FTTH / FTTP
FTTC
Fiber-To-The-Home / Fiber-To-The-Premises
Fiber-To-The-Curb
Fiber Drop Cables Fiber Terminal
Metro Ethernet Network
FTTB Fiber-To-The-Building Fiber Cables
Aggregation Fiber Access Node (EFN324) Switch (ECN430)
CAT5
Central Office EFN324c
Access network termination
Metro Ethernet aggregation
The fiber access node serves as termination point of end user lines on one side and entry point to the Metro Ethernet network on the other. In FTTH deployments, the fiber access node is placed in the Central Office. In FTTB deployments, the fiber access node should be located centrally within the MDU, such as on the ground floor or in the basement. The reach of CAT5 is 100 meters, so one or more fiber access nodes can easily serve 20-40 apartments. Our P2P fiber access is based on the Ericsson EDA 1200 fiber access node EFN324. It’s a second generation Ethernet switch that uses the latest technology and standards and provides 100 Mbps connections to each end user. EFN324 has the stability and Quality of Service expected from carrier class equipment. It provides robust, reliable and secure access to IP services including telephony, high-speed Internet, multicast video streaming and TV distribution.
For aggregating the traffic in the access network towards the Metro Ethernet network, our Ericsson EDA portfolio includes an advanced aggregation switch and controller node, the ECN430. ECN430 includes 20 optical/electrical combo ports. If, as an example, the EFN324 fiber access nodes are daisy-chained in pairs, each ECN430 will aggregate and control up to 40 fiber access nodes and 960 end users. For larger nodes, you can either daisy-chain more fiber access nodes or use additional aggregation switches. It is also possible to provide 1 Gbps for business services by connecting them directly to a port on the ECN430.
Aggregation Switch and Controller Node ECN430
Fiber Access Node EFN324c for CAT5 EFN324 is more flexible and scalable than traditional Ethernet switches and offers 24 downlinks and dual Combo Gigabit Ethernet uplinks. It’s available in several interface variants, including single-mode single fiber, multi-mode dual fiber and electrical CAT5 Ethernet.
ECN430 is a 20-port Gigabit Ethernet routing switch that combines the speed and low cost of a Layer 2 switch with the ability to route at Layer 3. As an option, ECN430 can be equipped with two 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. A unique feature is the embedded EMP functionality which allows ECN430 to take on a central and active role in the management of the underlying access nodes such as the EFN324. This has the benefit of having just one management point for up to 10,000 end users. Ericsson’s EDA 1200 solution offers a flexible EMP topology network that allows an operator to utilize the exact same aggregation network for fiber-based and xDSL-based traffic. For networks where the EMP functionality is not needed, our Ethernet aggregator EMN120 is a costeffective alternative. EMN120 basically offers the same features as ECN430 except the EMP functionality.
VDSL2 – an alternative for the last drop VDSL2 is an alternative to fiber or electrical CAT5 end user termination with short distances. Ericsson’s award-winning VDSL2 site solution is optimized for cost-effective VDSL2 roll-out with an up to 30% CAPEX reduction on outdoor cabinets.
Management system
Installation with ECN430 (top) and EFN324s
Ericsson’s EDA 1200 portfolio includes ServiceOn PEM, a dedicated element manager. Designed to assist operators with network management processes, ServiceOn PEM secures operation and maintenance of the EDA 1200 Fiber Solutions and includes full element management via an open Northbound Interface as well as via an extensive graphical user interface.
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.
Ericsson AB www.ericsson.com
LZT 108 9805 © Ericsson AB, 2008