PASSIVE OPTICAL NETWORK

The present disclosure envisages protection schemes for enhancing the protection provided to the passive optical networks by the conventional Type A and Type B protection schemes. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a Passive Optical Network, PON, (100) comprises an Optical Line Terminal, OL T, (102) that provides telecommunication services to a plurality of Optical Network Units, ONU, (104) via an optical distribution network, ODN, (106A). The ODN (106A) provides the PON (100) with a first connection link (108) that provides the telecommunication services to the ONU (104) under normal operating conditions. Under system failure operating conditions, a second protection link (110) is used to provide thetelecommunication services to the ONU (104). At least one extender (112) is provided upstream of the second-protection link to provide amplification to the signal traveling therethrough to compensate for link losses, wherein the link losses are incurred due to the fact that the second protection link (110) is out of link margin to the ODN (106A).