WDM-PON for 5G Wireless Fronthaul

While the idea of wavelength-division multiplex passive optical network (WDM-PON) has been around for many years, it has never been taken up in a significant way, mostly due to a lack of demand for its level of bandwidth. Fifth generation (5G) wireless has brought with it new centralized architectures that seem to require very-high-performance fixed networks. This article considers the use of WDM-PON for 5G wireless, the key finding is that its suitability depends on the deployment scenario for the service area in question. There are places that could benefit from such a system. The results of an initial trial of this technology are provided, proving system feasibility. A new type of hybrid PON system architecture combining WDM-PON and 50 Gb/s time-division multiplex PON (TDM-PON) networking is discussed.