(New)

Background and justification

The evolution of the telecommunication market, led by the increasing availability of higher and higher capacity, as well as the deregulation taking place in most Countries, requires new stringent performances to the hardware used to construct the network.

In this view products with better reliability, increased ease of use, possibility to be installed in a variety of locations and to be easily reconfigured are needed.

On the other hand the increasing complexity of the advanced optical fibre transmission systems leads to a scenario where the need for ultra high capacity point to point links coexist with the need of creating optical networking functionality, through optical nodes that evolve progressively from fixed to dynamically reconfigurable. In this context a new family of components, named "Optical modules" are progressively appearing on the market. They can be distinguished in "Active" and "Passive"; the latter ones can be considered the natural evolution of passive components.

Study items

• Technical requirements and test methods for optical fibre closures, with particular attention to the needs emerging from the market in terms of operability, including intermediate cable entry for accessing fibres. The requirements to be met depend upon the particular installation (aerial, underground, direct buried, …);
• Technical requirements and test methods for optical distribution and termination frames, taking into account the possibility of easy reconfiguration and multiple use (i.e. termination, cross connection, distribution, customer premises…);
• Technical requirements and test methods for outdoor enclosures fit to accommodate passive as well as active components (cross connect, multiplexers, CATV-Common Antenna Television- components, Mobile telephone equipments);
• Passive Optical Modules in outside plant, including:

Fixed and reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop multiplexers;
DWDM channel filters and dispersion compensators;
Dynamic equalizers.

This latter activity will be carried out in close relationship with SG 15, defining only the mechanical and environmental characteristics of the products, as per the mandate of SG 6.

Relationships

• ITU-T SG 15
• IEC TC 86, 46

Deliverables

Recommendations on: