What Do You Know About PONs?
During the pandemic, many people worked and studied at home, all needing broadband internet to do so. Robust home internet is best achieved with fiber to the home (FTTH) using passive optical networks (PONs). How well do you understand FTTH using PONs?
1. FTTH became cost effective with the development of the ______.
Correct Answer: PON
2. A passive optical network uses ______ instead of electronic switches to connect multiple users to the head end over fiber.
Correct Answer: Optical splitters
3. Splitters “split” the downstream signal to connect many users and “combine” the signals upstream to connect all users to the same PON fiber port over one fiber.
Correct Answer: True
4. To allow bi-directional transmission over only one fiber without interference or crosstalk, a PON uses different ______ upstream and downstream.
Correct Answer: Wavelengths
5. In GPON, the most popular PON standard, G stands for “gigabit” because it transmits downstream at ______ Gbps and upstream at ______ Gbps and provides users with gigabit speeds for their internet connections.
Correct Answer: 2.5, 1.25
6. Because the PON splitter sends the same downstream signal to all users, the signals to each user are encrypted to ensure privacy.
Correct Answer: True
7. The latest standards for PONS ______.
Correct Answer: All of the above
8. In GPON, most systems have a maximum of ______ users on each PON fiber port.
Correct Answer: 32
9. Each split factor of 2 in a splitter causes a loss of ______ dB, plus some excess loss caused by splitter inefficiency, making splitters the largest cause of loss in a PON network.
Correct Answer: 3
10. Besides FTTH, PONs can also be used for ______.
Correct Answer: All of the above
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