Optical splitters configuration for long-reach passive optical network deployment

In this paper, we examine a nation-wide deployment case study of 1024-way-split Long-Reach Passive Optical Network (LR-PON) for Ireland. We analyse the effect that different splitters configurations in the Distribution Section have on the PONs utilisation and on the total fibre cable length required to cover the country. Our approach, which considers both dense and sparsely populated areas, is based on a clustering algorithm that, starting from the location of end users, aggregates them into clusters, representing different branches of a PON. Our test scenarios are generated from a real dataset containing exact positions of millions of buildings. Our results show how the optimal dimensions and positions of the power splitters vary when we move from densely populated to sparsely populated areas. We indicate which splitters configurations should be applied in dense and sparse areas (urban and rural) to minimise the number of PONs. We also show that when cable branching is considered near the end user, reduction of up to 40% in total fibre cable length can be obtained.