On golden PON

Georgia Techies are working on a way to take a passive optical networking (PON) signal, and split it so that it delivers broadband for both wired and wireless end users.

The scenario runs like this: A service provider offers the service to a hotel, an airport, a hot spot or a small office. The optical signal would be split via a customer premise device. The signal would then be available to wired customers via standard wall outlets and to wireless customers via high-speed wireless transmitters.

Using wave division multiplexing, the system could deliver 2.5Gbps over each of 32 channels. But don’t hold your breath; researchers figure it will take another five to seven years to work all the bugs out.