A passive optical network brings fiber all the way to the home — sharing one feeder among many subscribers with nothing but glass splitters in between. No power, no electronics in the field.
A PON is point-to-multipoint. One port on the OLT (in the exchange) feeds a passive splitter, which fans that single fiber out to many ONTs (one per home). Everything between them is glass — nothing to power or maintain in the street.
The splitter is the trade-off. Splitting one fiber into two roughly halves the power — about 3.5 dB each time. A 1:32 split costs ~17 dB, a 1:64 about 20 dB, before any fiber or connector loss. That’s why the power budget decides how many homes and how far a PON can reach.
Downstream and upstream share the same fiber on different wavelengths. Downstream (~1490 nm) is broadcast to every ONT, which keeps only its own data. Upstream (~1310 nm) is time-shared: the OLT grants each ONT a slot so their bursts never collide.
The Fiber Optic Lab turns these concepts into hands-on instruments you can practise safely — no fragile fiber, no costly gear. Log in to the suite to try them.
Confidential — prototype under development. This prototype and all associated content are the proprietary and confidential property of Daw Alfada, shared solely for authorized technical review. Any unauthorized copying, redistribution, reverse engineering, or commercial use — in whole or in part — is strictly prohibited. © 2026 Daw Alfada. All rights reserved.
