Toronto Networking Seminar




Advances in Optical Access Networks

Hussein T. Mouftah
School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE)
University of Ottawa

Date:  Friday, October 5, 2:10pm
Location: BA1220 (Bahen Center)


Abstract:

Explosion of data and mass availability of Internet connections around the globe had created huge bandwidth requirements for bandwidth hungry applications. Despite the technological advances in the core and their ability to transport, still much work has to be done in the access networks in order to be able to let the broadband traffic be transmitted transparently. Current solutions for access networks do not provide a concrete solution for the famous last mile problem. In this talk we will present optical access networks as viable solutions to the ongoing problems in the access networks. Further we will cover physical and technological limitations with the current state-of-the-art optical technology. We will address the optical access networks promises in responding to these shortcomings. We will focus on passive optical networks (PONs), reviewing different type of PONs considering their benefits and limitations. Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) has been considered as an attractive solution to next-generation broadband access networks due to its low cost and high throughput. However, designing efficient bandwidth allocation algorithms (DBAs) is a critical issue in EPON. In this talk, we will also cover dynamic bandwidth allocation algorithms along with the role which the multipoint control protocol (MPCP) plays in their design.

Bio:

Hussein Mouftah joined the School of Information Technology and Engineering (SITE) of the University of Ottawa in 2002 as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair Professor, where he became a University Distinguished Professor in 2006. He has been with the ECE Dept. at Queen's University (1979-2002), where he was prior to his departure a Full Professor and the Department Associate Head. He has six years of industrial experience mainly at Bell Northern Research of Ottawa (now Nortel Networks). He served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Communications Magazine (1995-97) and IEEE ComSoc Director of Magazines (1998-99). He is the author or coauthor of five books and more than 800 technical papers and 9 patents in this area of broadband packet switching networks, optical and mobile wireless networks and quality of service over the Internet. He is the joint holder of 5 Best Paper and/or Outstanding Paper Awards. He has received numerous prestigious awards, such as the 2007 RSC Thomas W. Eadie Medal, the 2006 IEEE Canada McNaughton Gold Medal, the 2006 EIC Julian Smith Medal, the 2004 IEEE ComSoc Edwin Howard Armstrong Achievement Award, the 2004 George S. Glinski Award for Excellence in Research of the U of O Faculty of Engineering, the 1989 Engineering Medal for Research and Development of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), and the Ontario Distinguished Researcher Award of the Ontario Innovation Trust. Dr. Mouftah is a Fellow of the IEEE (1990), the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2003) and the Engineering Institute of Canada (2005).