Recent developments in broadband service delivery techniques for short-range networks

Short-range networks such as in-building networks and first-mile access networks have to support an ever-growing diversity of services with widely ranging signal characteristics. Examples are a.o. fast data transport with Gigabit Ethernet, high-quality personalised video and audio, remote home control and surveillance signals, etc. The final link to the end user may be wired or wireless. To transport all these in a single converged network requires low-cost methods for multiplexing, and an easy-to-installand-operate infrastructure. The paper will address the potential of multimode (polymer) optical fibre in this short-range domain, in combination with a number of recent developments on advanced optical multiplexing methods such as mode group diversity multiplexing, adaptive subcarrier multiplexing, and optical frequency multiplying for transporting microwave signals. The applications in in-building networks and first-mile access networks will be highlighted.