Introduction to the JOCN special issue on future PON architectures enabled by advanced technology

This JOCN Special Issue, which spans the September and October 2020 issues, investigates the future of passive optical networks (PONs) in light of new enabling technologies that are currently under consideration. The papers present a broad overview of topics of current interest, across both the physical and network layers. They investigate how new technologies (e.g., higher-speed direct detection transceivers, coherent systems, advanced digital signal processing, and new optoelectronic components) and new network-layer approaches may drive the medium- to long-term evolution of PONs.