Photon Netw Commun (2010) 19:62–73 DOI 10.1007/s11107-009-0211-0 Applications of large-scale optical 3D-MEMS switches in fiber-based broadband-access networks Nicholas Madamopoulos · Volkan Kaman · Shifu Yuan · Olivier Jerphagnon · Roger J. Helkey · John E. Bowers Received: 1 February 2009 / Accepted: 13 August 2009 / Published online: 17 September 2009 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Applications of non-blocking large-scale optical switches based on three-dimensional micro-electro-mechan- ical system (3D-MEMS) technology with small size and low power consumption are described for fiber-based broadband access networks. The low-loss and fast-switching 3D-MEMS switches offer remotely reconfigurable and automated oper- ational solutions for access networks such as fiber man- agement, preventative maintenance, monitoring, testing, and troubleshooting of a large number of end customers. Fur- thermore, the wavelength, data rate, and protocol-transpar- ent nature of 3D-MEMS switches results in a future-proof optical distribution network design for future higher speed and higher capacity wavelength division multiplexing over- lay upgrades over the passive optical network (PON). We show that large-scale 3D-MEMS switches deployed in PON environments can offer over an order of magnitude in cap- ital and operational savings in comparison to manual patch panels (in deployed fiber hardware, real estate, and manual labor) with minimal impact on the overall network design. Keywords Access networks · Broadband access · Fiber to the premise · Micro-electro-mechanical devices · Passive optical network · Photonic switching systems N. Madamopoulos (B ) Department of Electrical Engineering, City College of City University of New York, 138th and Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA e-mail: nmadamopoulos@ccny.cuny.edu V. Kaman · S. Yuan · O. Jerphagnon · R. J. Helkey Calient Networks, Inc., 25 Castilian Dr., Goleta, CA 93117, USA J. E. Bowers Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA 1 Introduction Broadband optical access services based on fiber to the premises (FTTP) architectures are now commercially avail- able [1–6]. The invention of the Internet, its massive growth, and the vast applications it offers has not only increased the number of users, but also increased the individual bandwidth demand for voice, data, and video-on-demand, which are now offered by both telephone companies and cable television (CATV) service providers [7]. FTTP is a passive optical net- work (PON) that uses small and inexpensive optical splitters, rather than the relatively large, expensive, and power-hungry optical repeaters used in more traditional optical networks. Since fiber is less costly to maintain than copper-based sys- tems and optical interfaces are shared among multiple cus- tomers, operators can reduce costs and increase profits while lowering the end-user subscriber costs [1, 2, 8, 9]. Recently, there has also been an increasing interest on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) over PON that will further increase the access network capacity [3, 10–12]. While FTTP provides for cost-effective access network architecture, it also introduces significant operational and maintenance challenges to the operator. Provisioning opti- cal connections, troubleshooting, and maintaining the net- work are some of the new necessities as increasing number of fibers are used to deliver services to the end-customers. The ability to manage a large amount of fibers and fiber connections becomes even more critical as the outside fiber plant infrastructure grows rapidly coupled with the inherent churn in access networks. Several approaches have been pro- posed to reduce the cost of operation, administration, main- tenance [13, 14], and optical fiber line testing systems for single star networks [15, 16]. Nevertheless, these approaches often concentrate on efficient ways of transferring infor- mation from the outside plant to the Central Office (CO). 123