A Survey on Radio-and-Fiber FiWi Network Architectures

The ultimate goal of Fiber-Wireless (FiWi) networks is the convergence of various optical and wireless technologies under a single infrastructure in order to take advantage of their complementary features and therefore provide a network capable of supporting bandwidth-hungry emerging applications in a seamless way for both fixed and mobile clients. This article surveys possible FiWi network architectures that are based on a Radio-and-Fiber (R&F) network integration, an approach that is different compared to the Radio-over-Fiber (RoF) proposal. The survey distinguishes FiWi R&F architectures based on a three- level network deployment of different optical or wireless technologies and classifies them into three main categories based on the technology used in the first level network. Future research challenges that should be explored in order to achieve a feasible FiWi R&F architecture are also discussed.