Choosing the best Internet transmission: battle of GPON and EPON technologies

Let's talk about Internet transmission technologies, analyze their differences and advantages.

Why GPON Gained Popularity

GPON (Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network) is a technology for data transmission over optical fiber communication lines using Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). Simply put, this technology transmits data not through electricity, but through a light signal.

Therefore, using GPON, you can transfer data at speeds up to 2.5 Gb / s at a distance of up to 20 km from the central node to the end user. GPON technology can serve up to 128 users on a single fiber, without speed drops and network congestion.

It also allows you not to depend on electricity. Therefore, electromagnetic waves or load on cables for GPON is not terrible. Few people think, but the work of the Internet can deteriorate simply due to the load on the power cables. If the cables are old, and there are a lot of electrical appliances in the house, the Internet will be worse, since the signal is transmitted through the same cables that are loaded with different devices. It's like connecting many taps to a pipe and turning them on all at once - all of them will have a thin stream of water.

Such advantages are not available with conventional stranded copper cable. However, a drawback also creeps out here - the optical fiber is more fragile, because it is based on a thin glass thread. Because of what, bends and creases in the cable are critical.

This is the most advanced technology for high-quality Internet in Odessa. But there are others, namely EPON or GEPON.

To clarify, we need a remark about the PON technologies that are used in fiber optic transmission. In short, this is the distribution of signal packets - that is, the signal to each user goes in different wave bands. It's like lanes on the road - every driver knows where to go, the cars do not collide and do not break into the neighboring stream.

So a user who watches online video (the most demanding signal) does not interfere with speeding up Instagram (less demanding signal).

Comparing GPON and EPON

GPON (Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Network) and EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) are two data transmission technologies based on optical fiber links.

The main difference between GPON and EPON is how data is transmitted over the optical cable. GPON uses Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) while EPON uses Ethernet.

GPON allows you to transfer data at speeds up to 2.5 Gb / s over a distance of up to 20 km from the central node to the end user. EPON can transmit data at speeds up to 1.25 Gbps over distances up to 20 km.

GPON can serve up to 128 users on a single fiber, while EPON can serve up to 32 users on a single fiber.

In general, GPON provides higher data rate and link capacity. Working with optical fiber is painstaking and requires special equipment.

Similarities between EPON and GPON

EPON and GPON are two technologies for transmitting data from a central node (provider) to an end user using optical fiber.

The main similarity between EPON and GPON is that both technologies use optical cables and passive optical elements to transmit data over a long distance and serve multiple users on a single fiber (PON technology).

Both technologies do not need signal amplifiers. This allows EPON and GPON to be more economical and energy efficient than active optical networks (on copper cables).

EPON and GPON have a lot in common, but there are nuances.

Why do people choose GPON?

Here are a few reasons why GPON can be considered better than EPON:

• Large bandwidth: GPON provides more bandwidth than EPON. The maximum gpon speed is 2.5 Gb/s for downloading from the Internet, and 1.25 Gb/s for uploading to the Internet. Although, this data can grow, depending on the equipment and the nature of the fiber. That is, users receive the declared speed from the provider, which does not fall due to congestion, the number of active Wi-Fi, traffic volume, and so on.
• Longer Transmission Range: GPON provides longer signal transmission distance than EPON. GPON can use optical cables up to 20 km long without the need for amplifiers. So providers can keep the stability of the network, avoid breakdowns or accidents. And users know about it and connect GPON so that their Internet works stably.
• Scalability: GPON supports more connected users per line than EPON. In GPON, up to 128 subscribers can be connected to one line, while in EPON this number is limited to 32 or 64 subscribers per line.
• Crosstalk Protection: GPON has built-in mechanisms to protect against crosstalk that can occur when multiple networks work together. This makes GPON more resistant to external influences and improves network reliability. Very important for business, public networks, and co-working.

Conclusions

Any fiber optic technology is better than copper cable. Therefore, whatever the choice is, it will be the right one. In the future, 10g pon may appear - a technology for transferring 10 gigabytes. But since 2009, the technology has frozen and hardly developed. Usually people are switching to fiber now to enjoy good internet, and not suffer from blackouts and overloads.

GPON technology is a modern way of connecting the Internet for any user. BRIZ connects subscribers both in apartment buildings and in private houses.