Gbit/s access network using remote delivery optical feeder for heterogeneous broadband wireless and wireline nodes (GANDALF)

Objective

GANDALF aims at demonstrating the simultaneous provision of Gb/s data rates to wireline and wireless access nodes (AN), employing a novel optical feeder concept. The proposed optical feeder employs a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator at the central station (CS) operated in such a way that is possible to recover simultaneously the transmitted broadband data directly at base-band or intermediate frequency (BB/IF) and modulated onto an RF carrier. This architecture allows therefore to remotely feed heterogeneous (wireline and wireless) AN with very interesting features when compared to previous approaches based in fibre-radio techniques.

The optical feeder architecture proposed by GANDALF allow a significant cost reduction with regard to other approaches as alleviate the bandwidth requirements at the transmitter end and simplify the electronics at both transmitting and receiving ends. At the ANs low-cost optoelectronic technologies (simplified hardware and reduced power consumption configurations) will be investigated, for example based in the use of electro-absorption transceivers and Asymmetric FPM. The proposed CS-AN link configuration is compliant with core network technologies such as DWDM and optical packet-switching.

The offered bandwidth allows the provision of multi-service and multi-band applications satisfying future requirements of access networks to cope with the expected evolution of user and application requirements. Other feasible application is the implementation of disaster recovery infrastructure. One of the main targets of GANDALF is to identify on-going standards that employ modulation formats that are suitable to be employed both at BB/IF and RF frequency bands, such as DOCSIS or DVB-S, or to provide prospects to allow this heterogeneous functionality.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › information engineering › telecommunications › wireless

Programme(s)

• FP6-IST - Information Society Technologies: thematic priority under the specific programme "Integrating and strengthening the European research area" (2002-2006).

Topic(s)

• IST-2002-2.3.1.3 - Broadband for all

Funding Scheme

STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project

Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA

Address

Camino De Vera S/n
46022 Valencia
Spain

Participants (11)

ALCATEL THALES III V LAB

France

Address

Route De Nozay
91460 Marcoussis

BUDAPEST UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS

Hungary

Address

Muegyetem Rakpart 3
1111 Budapest

CABLEUROPA S.A.

Spain

Address

Cl Basauri 7-9 Edificio Belagua
28023 Madrid

EUSKALTEL

Spain

Address

Parque Tecnologico Edificio 809
48160 Derio

FIBERNET S.L.

Spain

Address

C/ Isaac Newton, 10. Parque Tecnologica De Madrid
28760 Tres Cantos

GENERALITAT VALENCIANA

Spain

Address

Calle Caballeros 2 (Palau De La Generalitat)
46001 Valencia

KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN

Sweden

Address

Valhallavaegen 79
100 44 Stockholm

MOBITEL TELECOMMUNICATION LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

Hungary

Address

Alsohatar Ut. 2/B Ep.
2040 Budaors

TEKMAR SISTEMI S.R.L.

Italy

Address

Via P. De Crescenzi 40
48018 Faenza

THALES COMMUNICATIONS S.A.

France

Address

160 Boulevard De Valmy
92700 Colombes

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

United Kingdom

Address

Gower Street
WC1E 6BT London