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TechWaTch
Passive Optical LAN: A Long-Term Solution for Enterprise Bandwidth
By Ed Sullivan
become its new 82,000 ft2 (7,380m2) headquarters in Washington D.C., the national railroad was determined to create a state-of-the-art facility. Its goal was to create one of the most sophisticated telecommunications systems available today. Among the highest priorities
E
was a converged network capable of providing high-bandwidth and wire- less connectivity for up to 500 users throughout four different floors. Am- trak and its consulting engineers se- lected passive optical LAN, due to its affordability, reliability, long life, and reduced power consumption. Passive optical fiber networks
(also known as PON, POL, GPON, and OLAN) provide a solution that eliminates data bottlenecks and leverages a cabling infrastructure with nearly unlimited bandwidth po-
ven before Amtrak began the renovation of the National Guard Building, which would
tential. They are simple, easy to con- figure and have a small footprint. They are also capable of protecting high-security communications with advanced data encryption.
Network Design To undertake this project, Am-
trak chose VT Group, a global sys- tems integrator that undertakes con- tracts ranging from C5ISR afloat projects to fully integrated networks. “Amtrak already had some expe-
rience with passive optical networks at some of its passenger stations, in- cluding Chicago and Baltimore,” ex- plains Aaron Reale, RCDD and Direc- tor of Operations at VT Group. After reviewing all major manu-
facturers, Reale and his colleagues determined that Optical Cable Cor- poration (OCC) could provide its newly-released and UL-listed slim- line hybrid cable solution for the project.
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The solution facility was a
GPON (Gigabit-capable PON) fiber network, a high-speed version of ba- sic PON that provides high-band- width in both directions. GPON is a more robust form of the PON net- works that are composed of point-to- multipoint fiber conducted through unpowered (passive) optical splitters. VT Group specified OCC’s bend-
tolerant, single-mode fiber cable, which has a 1 in. (25.4 mm) bend ra- dius. These passive networks enable enterprises to simultaneously con- verge multiple services such as data, VoIP, video conferencing, building security, management services, and wireless devices — applications that are choking many copper- or Ether- net-based telecommunications net- works. Similar to optical services, such as Verizon’s FIOS, these net- works can easily be expanded simply by adding nodes to a cable containing a single strand of fiber. For GPON solutions, the use of
single-mode fiber optic cable ensures that these networks will be able to handle future requirements easily with an unprecedented 100 Tb of da- ta transmission capability. “This is significant because many
communications electronics have a cy- cle of approximately five years. Many communications devices require added bandwidth to handle increased traffic and applications,” says Mike Long, LEED Green Associate, and senior network consultant for OCC. “The single-mode fiber solution is con- sidered “future-proof” because in many instances it is capable of han- dling added loads for decades to come.” Optical LAN technology has
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been gaining significant market share in recent years. In addition to Amtrak, VT Group has deployed GPON connectivity to classified gov- ernment projects, healthcare and corporate facilities, and at some of the largest resorts in North America.
Power Challenges In the case of Amtrak’s HQ so-
lution, maximum uptime and relia- bility were of paramount importance. Because of this, a hybrid fiber/copper infrastructure was the solution. “Because Amtrak has opera-
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tions at many historical sites, such as Baltimore’s Penn Station and Washington’s Union Station, the company has too often experienced highly disruptive power outages. Our design eliminates this risk by consol- idating all fiber and power cabling for all telecommunications to a sin- gle, protected space with fully redun- dant battery backup,” says Reale. One of Amtrak’s traditional ca- ble suppliers could meet the turn-
around requirements. Having worked with OCC on many projects in the past, he contacted the company and found that it could meet the dead- lines.
The finished product is a single
strand of bend-insensitive, single- mode fiber that will provide unlimit- ed bandwidth, plus two 18-gauge copper wires to carry electrical power to each work area outlet. The 18- gauge copper is slightly larger than today’s requirement, but was de- signed so that no matter what hap- pens in the future, the conductors will be able to handle it. Because of the inherent drop in
voltage that occurs over copper wire, the team also incorporated digital electricity to enhance transmission performance. This emerging technol- ogy combines DC power and data in- to packets which are transmitted and received in a manner that is some- what analogous to how information packets are conveyed over networks.
Saving Valuable Space Not an inch of space at Am-
trak’s new headquarters has been wasted. One of the significant sav- ings in using the passive optical net- work was gaining a considerable amount of space from what would have been used for telecommunica- tions rooms.
“Traditionally with a four-floor
space like this, we design eight 10 x 12 ft (3 x 3.7m) closets, and build out with racks, cabinets and other equip- ment,” Reale explains. “Each closet requires a UPS battery backup, plus additional HVAC cooling because of the addition of concentrated heat within the space.” Instead, just one telecommuni-
cations closet with two racks will support all the users, significantly reducing the footprint. “The rest of the system utilizes much smaller pathways and light loads to distrib- ute connectivity throughout the en- tire facility,” says Reale. In order to eliminate the addi-
tional telecommunications rooms, VT Group designed and built customized zone enclosures that mount above the ceiling and act as infrastructure distribution nodes. While GPON technology has
been around for a few decades and is used heavily by the large telecommu- nications carriers, many stakehold- ers are now beginning to become fa- miliarized with its benefits in an en-
terprise local area network. Contact: Optical Cable Corp.,
5290 Concourse Drive, Roanoke, VA 24019 % 800-622-7711 fax: 540-265- 0724 E-mail:
info@occfiber.com Web:
www.occfiber.com r
September, 2017
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