Passive Optical LAN – how can it help my company?

There are a lot of ways to structure a telecommunications network. And slowly, new methods are replacing traditional structured cabling. Once requiring multiple levels of switch and router aggregation, a new passive optical LAN can streamline your installation with fewer distance issues, fewer routers, and fewer cables.

What is a passive optical LAN?

Passive optical LANs leverage the tremendous bandwidth capacity of optical fibre, as well as its ability to cover distances of up to 20 km without the need for intermediate electronics between the central switch and the end device. That can help to eliminate some of the issues faced by cabling many workstations or connecting across a large building. It’s straightforward to install too. According to OCC, “A POL consists of an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical splitter, and optical network terminals (ONTs) to transmit voice. An optical splitter splits downstream signals and combines upstream signals to and from the connected devices, all on a single strand of single-mode fibre. Additionally, since the ONTs can support multiple devices, Passive Optical LANs require less cable and the labour to install it to support the network.” It’s based on the same technology that allowed telecommunication operators to enable fibre-to-the-home connectivity for residential environments.

What are the benefits of passive optical LAN?

First off, it’s more labour effective. It takes less human power to install and run this cabling. And, since the cables are fibre, they won’t need upgrading. Any advancements you need can be achieved by upgrading the OLT and ONTs instead. This is a huge cost saving as well. And the Remote Line Power (RLP) installation means that these deployments are less subject to power outages. This means reduced risk of power outages. According to Huawei, “In marine or marine adjacent environments, POL offers a non-corroding alternative that is impervious to the salt air. Plus, POL can be used at distances up to [20 km]. This makes POL a great choice for if you are administering a campus for connecting buildings, setting up video security, and connecting campus-wide Wi-Fi. POL makes these functions easier to both install and to maintain long term.

Companies are also increasingly aware of operational efficiencies. POL networking, due to its simple nature, is much easier to administer, even on a large campus. An expert partner in connectivity and telecommunications such as MLR Networks can help you analyse your environment for the ideal passive optical LAN deployment. Lastly, these connections benefit from military-grade security. This is a significant benefit over the long term as cyber attackers become savvier and more invasive.

Summary

Passive optical LAN might be right for your company if you are looking for a secure, fast connection with less labour impact. If you want to save money with less cabling that won’t need to be replaced anytime soon and upgrade your system quickly by changing out only ONTs and OLT instead then seriously consider Passive Optical LAN. Enjoy more uptime with less power outage risk with a LAN that’s serviced by RLP instead.

If you’d like to talk about how passive optical LAN could work for your environment, get in touch today.