ITU-T G.984 GPON vs. IEEE 802.

3ah EPON

A Business Case Comparing Various Gigabit Passive

Optical Networks Technologies

Abstract
This white paper compares the ITU-T based GPON solution
with an IEEE EPON solution and demonstrates how GPON
provides a compelling business case for access
deployment while providing both Ethernet and TDM
services on a single fiber to a large number of end users
over a long network reach.

As this paper will show, GPON systems can provide 2.5 Gb/s of
converged data and voice services for the first mile, in a cost-
effective and bandwidth-efficient manner for the service
provider.

A growing number of companies believe that weaknesses in

the efficiency of the EPON protocol lead to major concerns over
the viable use of Ethernet as a transport mechanism for the first
mile.

Specifically, most EPON access implementations provide as

little as 50% of usable bandwidth to the service provider, and
may struggle to truly support legacy TDM / Voice services.
Moreover EPON supports only outside plant classes A and B,
while GPON supports also laser class C required by the
Service Providers to cover longer reach networks.

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The GPON Protocol

In 2001 the FSAN group initiated a new effort for standardizing PON
networks operating at bit rates above 1 Gb/s. Apart from the need to
support higher bit rates, the overall protocol has been opened for
reconsideration and the sought solution should be the most optimal
and efficient in terms of support for multiple services, and operation,
administration, maintenance and provisioning (OAM&P) functionality
and scalability.

As a result of this latest FSAN effort, a new solution has emerged in

the optical access market place – Gigabit PON (GPON), offering
unprecedented high bit rate support (Up to 2.488 Gbit/s) while
enabling the transport of multiple services, specifically data and TDM,
in native formats and with extremely high efficiency.

The GPON standards were ratified by ITU-T in January 2003 and are
known as ITU-T Recommendations G.984.1, G.984.2 and G.984.3.
http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2003/04.html

EPON
Ethernet for subscriber access networks, also referred to as “Ethernet
in the First Mile”, or EFM, combines a minimal set of extensions to the
IEEE 802.3 Media Access Control (MAC) and MAC Control sub layers
with a family of Physical (PHY) Layers.

EFM also introduced the concept of Ethernet Passive Optical

Networks (EPONs), in which a point to multipoint (P2MP) network
topology is implemented with passive optical splitters, along with
optical fiber PMDs that support this topology. In addition, a
mechanism for network Operations, Administration and Maintenance
(OAM) is included to facilitate network operation and troubleshooting.

EPON is based upon a mechanism named MPCP (Multi-Point Control

Protocol), defined as a function within the MAC control sub layer.
MPCP uses messages, state machines, and timers, to control access
to a P2MP topology. Each ONU in the P2MP topology contains an
instance of the MPCP protocol, which communicates with an instance
of MPCP in the OLT.

Compared to GPON based systems, EPON suffers from two

substantial drawbacks: High EPON overhead tax and poor ability to
support TDM.
 The EPON Efficiency Tax

A prime factor for a carrier when analyzing the merit of a system is the
overall bandwidth that as available for services sold to customers.
This available bandwidth can also be termed as the “revenue bits” of
Hot Topics the system. Revenue bits are derived from the overall system
bandwidth with the protocol overhead or tax subtracted from it.
• EPON Tax:
Efficiency is When comparing GPON and EPON systems supporting similar
the #1 factor in bitrates of 1.25 Gbps, it can be safely assumed that system costs will
determining be very similar. The major cost contributing components are the Burst
the overall Mode Optics and the Digital MAC ASIC. Regardless of the protocol
system cost. used these components will have similar costs.
EPON
systems have A 100% efficient network will provide 1.25 Gbps of available
high Overhead throughput, while a 50% efficient network would provide only 622 Mb/s
and low of throughput and thus 2 systems and 2 Optical Distribution networks
efficiency would be required for the same network in order to derive the same
• System costs amount of revenue bits.
are assumed
to be similar Table 1 below summarizes the efficiencies of both EPON and GPON
(same optics) with varying mixtures of voice and data. As shown, the efficiency of
and thus a an EPON system is poor in comparison to GPON, and yields
more efficient substantially fewer revenue bits.
system
renders a
lower cost per Overall Efficiency
bit 10% TDM, 90% Data
EPON 49%
GPON 93%

Table 1 – Overall PON Efficiency

The main factor constituting the high overhead within EPON, in turn
leading to an extremely low efficiency, are depicted in the following
diagram.
 Revenue Bits
20%
8b/10b Coding
IPG & Preamble
51% 49%
16% Upstream Phy OH
Unfragmentation Gaps
6% TC Overhead
5%
2%

Figure 1: EPON OH Components

Poor Ability to Support Voice/TDM Services

Ethernet is an efficient packet-based data protocol but is not equipped

with the tools needed to support synchronous TDM transport (Native
TDM). In order to deal with voice transport issues, various schemes
of voice over packet might be implemented using rather complex QoS
mechanisms. These mechanisms are still considered by most
incumbent carriers as an immature technology, which has yet to be
proven to meet the quality and reliability required from carrier-class
equipment.

Supporting TDM emulation over EPON, and voice transport, dictates

additional Hardware/Software to support VoIP schemes which adds
another cost factor to the EPON solution

GPON supports transport of TDM services (Both Low rate E1/T1 and
high rate STM1/OC3) in their native format thus Jitter and delay
standards are easily met with no additional cost
 Limited Optical Performance

The IEEE has decided to support only 2 link-budget classes: Class A

and Class B. The ITU-T G.984.2 GPON Physical Media specification
supports in addition a Class C configuration. Class C allows a GPON
network to extend beyond a 20 Km reach while supporting a large
number of end-users, up to 64 ONTs in some scenarios.

The following diagram depicts the benefits in terms of Distance and

split ratio that the Service Providers gain by using Class C optics.

Maximum Distance vs. Number of end-users in various ODN classes

110 101

Hot Topics 100

90 81

• Only GPON
allows class 80
Max number of ONTs

C optical 70

capabilities, 60
which 40 39
Class A
50 Class B
enable 20
32 Class C
km networks 40

with a 64 30

way split 16
13
15
20
6
10

0
7 km 10 km 20 km
Maximum distance

Figure 2: Class C compared to Class A&B

A Class C GPON system can support double the split ratio of a Class
B GPON or EPON system. This leads in turn to direct cost saving as
less fiber and fewer OLT needs to be deployed.
Summary
• Ethernet services represent a promising market for the coming
years. Question is not whether Ethernet services will be
provided, but how? A GPON system offers Ethernet in the First
Mile as opposed to Ethernet as the first Mile suggested by the
EOPN approach.
• Carriers have a large installed base of TDM/legacy voice
services. This installed base is the greatest source of revenues
for carriers today. Carriers are looking for an access solution
which supports Ethernet services yet at the same time
leverages the existing installed base and revenue stream
• Pure Ethernet solutions lack the ability to support carrier-class
TDM/voice service
• The EPON Tax - EPON solutions are extremely inefficient
regarding throughput of the network. Consequently revenue
bits for carriers are up to 50% less than in a GPON solution.
• FlexLight’s and BroadLight’s GPON solution addresses the
emerging Ethernet services market as well as supports existing
revenue streams from legacy infrastructure in an extremely
efficient manner. The GPON solution enables substantial
enhancement of revenues for the service provider.

Additional Information

FlexLight Networks offers a suite of Gigabit PON optical

access products, which leverage leading-edge technology to
deliver a solution that conquers last-mile bandwidth bottlenecks
and optimizes service flexibility.

BroadLight is a fabless company of digital, analog and optical

communication semiconductors for the emerging PON
technology. BroadLight’s line of products is comprised of multi-
service/multi-protocol semiconductors and optical transceivers
as well as software and algorithms to facilitate cost-effective
communication systems.

Please contact www.flexlight-networks.com or

www.broadlight.com for additional information on the
companies and their products.