Feasibility of next-generation 25 Gbps PON using non-return to zero modulation

In this paper, two different receiver schemes based on non-return to zero (NRZ) modulation format to implement next generation 25 Gbps passive optical network (PON) links are compared in terms of performance. One scheme is based on the re-use of 10 Gbps PON optoelectronic components adding a DSP-based adaptive equalizer at the receiver. The other avoids the use of equalization but requires higher-bandwidth components (i.e. 25 Gbps technology developed for data centre interconnects). By means of simulations, we demonstrate that both schemes can operate through 20-km of single mode fibre in O-band achieving similar performance and power requirements.