Hybrid Optical Access Network Integrating Fiber-to-the-Home and Radio-Over-Fiber Systems

TLDR

Hybrid optical access networks that combine FTTH and RoF on a shared fiber are promising for future multiservice access. The study aims to enable and experimentally demonstrate simultaneous transmission of RF and BB signals over a single wavelength on a single fiber using one external modulator. The hybrid RF and BB signals transmitted over 50‑km SSMF show no dispersion‑induced fading and incur power penalties below 0.2 dB.

Abstract

Hybrid optical access networks, integrating fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and radio-over-fiber (RoF) systems that share a single distributed infrastructure, are promising for future multiservice access networks. The primary concern is to enable RoF and FTTH systems to transmit both radio-frequency (RF) and baseband (BB) signals on a single wavelength over a single fiber. This study experimentally demonstrates simultaneous generation and transmission of a wired-line BB signal and a wireless RF signal on a single wavelength, using one external modulator. The hybrid signals transmitted over standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) do not suffer from periodic performance fading due to fiber dispersion. Following transmission over 50-km SSMF, the power penalties of both RF and BB signals are less than 0.2 dB