Free Space Passive Optical Network Ahmed D. Kora 1( ✉ ) , Cheikh B. Rabany 2 , Zacharia Damoue 1 , and Ibra Dioum 2 1 Ecole Superieure Multinationale de Telecommunications, 10000 Dakar, Senegal ahmed.kora@esmt.sn 2 Universite Cheick Anta DIOP, 5085 Dakar-Fann, Senegal Abstract. This paper proposes free space passive optical network (FSPON) as a potential candidate of high data rate access network based on optical wireless transmission. FSPON could be considered for indoor as well as outdoor deploy‐ ments. Pending the progress in FSO range, it is appropriate for short range communication network. The system architecture and network architecture are depicted. A key component for the deployment success is the alignment of the remote terminal equipment’s with the free space optical splitter (FSOS). The main advantages and performances of a user terminal station are discussed. The performance comparison has been made with a simple point to point free space optical link. The FSPON capacity is limited to 6 users at the cost of low modu‐ lation scheme and high signal to noise ratio. Keywords: Free space optics · FSO · Passive optical network · PON · FSPON 1 Introduction Developments in optical transmission have revolutionized the lives of users of infor‐ mation and communications technology [1, 2]. The advent of the fiber and the latest innovations enable transmission of ten order to hundreds of terabits data rates. This is possible through wavelength division multiplexing technology (WDM) [3, 4]. WDM technique by reducing the gap between two adjacent wavelengths provides the ability to simultaneously send information in parallel by occupation of the available spectrum. Thus, each forwarded data stream throughput is maximized in order to optimize the transmission capacity of the fiber. The limitations of the fiber from a technical point of view have been greatly improved from the moment where it is introduced into the access network. This leads to a successful user experience of on provided services. The fiber comes and replace the copper overwhelmed by the growing demand of bandwidth. Actually, the desire to satisfy the needs of users has generated increasingly bandwidth- intensive with network applications or software. Several implementation architecture solutions of the fiber in the access network have been proposed. The first simplest solu‐ tions were the Point -to- Point architecture. The high cost of deployment of these solu‐ tions has contributed to its gradual shift except for wholesale customers to loop solution and more recently in passive optical networks. Passive optical networks are currently the types of networks whose architecture seems the most economical and best suited for certain types of customers and localities. The first generations of PON solutions offered © ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering 2018 C. M. F. Kebe et al. (Eds.): InterSol 2017/CNRIA 2017, LNICST 204, pp. 304–311, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72965-7_28