Internet Access Guide : Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH)

Picture: Home Run Fiber
A dedicated fiber from the CO to each subscriber home.

The ODN architecture is classified into Home Run Fiber (point-to-point), Active Star Ethernet (point-to-point), and Passive Optical Network / PON (point-to-multipoint). In the Home Run Fiber, a dedicated fiber is pulled to each subscriber from the CO so it is more expensive than other architectures.

Picture: Active Star Ethernet
A dedicated fiber from a remote access node to each subscriber home.

In Active Star Ethernet, a dedicated fiber is extended to each subscriber from a remote access node which is connected via optical Gigabit Ethernet network to the CO. This architecture resembles typical DLC (Digital Loop Carrier) architecture for delivering POTS/ISDN/DSL. In FTTH case, it is sometimes called BLC (Broadband Loop Carrier).

Picture: Passive Optical Network (PON)
A passive splitter splits a fiber based on maximum split ratio and bandwidth demand.

And finally, PON is the most popular architecture because it doesn't place active electronics in the optical distribution network. Therefore it doesn't need electricity to power the passive components and its maintenance is cheaper. But while Home Run Fiber and Active Star Ethernet architectures can reach longer distance of up to 80 km from the CO, PON has shorter reach of up to 20 km.