Low-cost MIMO-RoF-PON architecture for next-generation integrated wired and wireless access networks

Next-generation integrated fiber-wireless access networks will require low-cost and high-capacity deployment to meet customer demand. A new configuration of radio over fiber-passive optical network (RoF-PON) architecture, including two 60 GHz multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) based on a 5G universal filtered multicarrier waveform and wired signal utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), is described. At the optical line terminal, MIMO signals are integrated as upper and lower sidebands of the wired OFDM signal. This integration approach, employing single-sideband frequency translation, reduces the complexity of the transceiver design and provides high spectral efficiency because the two MIMO-RoF and wired signals transmit at the same frequency. Improved techniques are also employed to upconvert and downconvert the 60 GHz millimeter wave (MMW), being remote optical heterodyning and self-heterodyning, respectively. The MIMO-RoF signals are therefore transmitted at low frequency over the standard single-mode fiber to avoid the impairments induced at higher frequencies, and the remote optical local oscillator is reused to downconvert the two 60 GHz MMWs, producing a cost-effective system. Simulation results demonstrate very satisfactory network performance when using a downstream link over a 20 km span standard PON. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America

Automated summary

The next-generation integrated fiber-wireless access networks will employ a new RoF-PON architecture, utilizing MIMO technology and OFDM signal transmission to reduce complexity of transceiver design and increase spectral efficiency. Furthermore, by using remote optical heterodyning and self-heterodyning techniques, it is possible to transmit 60 GHz MMW signals at low frequency over standard single-mode fiber, achieving cost-effective and high-performance network performance.