A passive optical network (PON) is a fiber-optic telecommunications network that uses only unpowered devices to carry signals, as opposed to electronic equipment. In practice, PONs are typically used for the last mile between Internet service providers (ISP) and their customers. In this use, a PON has a point-to-multipoint topology in which an ISP uses a single device to serve many end-us. Components and characteristicsA passive optical network consists of an (OLT) at the service provider's central office (hub), passive (non-power-consuming) optical splitters, and a number of (ONUs) or Passive optical networks were first proposed by in 1987. Two major standard groups, the (IEEE) and the. A PON takes advantage of (WDM), using one wavelength for downstream traffic and another for upstream traffic on a (ITU-T, typically OS2). BPON, EP.