Fibre in the access network course

This e-learning course is intended for staff involved in the planning, provisioning, and maintenance of fibre-based (FTTH and FTTC) access networks.

Those studying the more technical aspects of this online course would benefit from a basic understanding of optical fibre principles, packet switching and time division multiplexing. It is suggested, therefore, that the PTT e-learning courses SRB: "Transmission fundamentals " and TAA: "Introduction to wide area networks" are studied before attempting this course.

After completing this course a trainee will be able to describe and compare the benefits, components and operation of the three main types of passive optical network as used in various configurations including fibre to the home (FTTH) and fibre to the cabinet (FTTC).

At the end of this course, the trainee will be able to:

Explain how the limitations of copper-based access networks prevent many customers from benefiting from enhanced triple-play services.

Describe the basic structure of a passive optical network (PON), its cost and performance benefits and the role of its basic components.

Explain the techniques that allow customers to share the bandwidth offered by a single fibre.

Describe and compare the structures and benefits of various configurations of a PON including fibre to the home (FTTH), fibre to the node (FTTN) and fibre to the cabinet (FTTC).

Describe and compare the service features of various types of passive optical network (PON), and the equipment employed in FTTC and FTTH configurations.

Describe the role of the various customer premises equipment (CPE) and distribution methods in a home for a triple-play service (telephony, TV and Internet access).

Describe the protocols and techniques used to transport various types of traffic over Broadband PON (BPON) and Gigabit PON (GPON) systems.

Describe the benefits of a differentiated service and the techniques used for its provision in BPONs and GPONs.

Describe the implementation and role of dynamic bandwidth allocation in BPONs and GPONs.

Explain that the Ethernet PON (EPON) standards were developed to reduce the complexity of passive optical networks and reduce system costs.

Describe the protocols and techniques used to transport various types of traffic over an EPON.

Describe the role of the multipoint control protocol (MPCP) in an EPON.

Explain the limitations of the various methods used for a differentiated service in an EPON.

Number of modules: 5
Approximate study time: 6 hours

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