TeliSwitch Solutions unveils PON Automated Optical Distribution Frame

Israeli optical switch developer TeliSwitch Solutions says it is ready to begin shipments of its new PON Automated Optical Distribution Frame (PON-AODF). The PON-AODF, which combines the company’s patented opto-mechatronic switching architecture with embedded splitters, enables operators to flexibly adjust PON splits as subscriber counts and bandwidth service demands require. Use of the PON-AODF can save up to 50% on OLT port allocations, according to company sources.

Typical PON architectures are inflexible and inefficient, asserts TeliSwitch Solutions co-founder and CEO Rafi Ben-Atar. Operators must balance expected take rates and offerings across multiple service areas with initial requirements. This can lead to stranded OLT port bandwidth as carriers devote ports to different service areas based on expected requirements rather than current needs.

By connecting the PON-AODF to OLT platforms in the central office, operators can ensure optimal use of each OLT port’s capacity, Ben-Atar says. As subscriber counts change or operators roll out new, higher-speed services, the PON-AODF can adjust accordingly, switching the OLT port to the appropriate splitter within the PON-AODF, which in turn is switched to the appropriate distribution fibers. This concept is illustrated in the diagram below (image courtesy TeliSwitch Solutions Ltd.):

Use of the PON-AODF can dramatically improve port use efficiency, Ben-Atar says. The company provided Lightwave with the following table to illustrate this claim (image courtesy TeliSwitch Solutions Ltd.):

Field trials of the PON-AODF have not yet been conducted, Ben-Atar states. But carriers such as French operator Free have conducted successful trials of the AODF technology at the heart of the product, he says. The switching mechanism will maintain its position during power outages, and the price of an AODF is “in the range” of passive optical distribution frames, Ben-Atar adds.

The company has international ambitions for the PON-AODF and therefore is open to partnerships, Ben-Atar adds. Distribution agreements and OEM arrangements are among the options the company would consider, he says.

For more information on FTTx systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.