We can broadly classify today's access networks into two camps: wired and wireless access. Traditional wired access techniques include digital subscriber loop (DSL) and hybrid-fiber coax (HFC) networks. These techniques can generally support bandwidth in a range of several Mb/s and a maximal transmission distance up to several hundred meters. To support even higher bandwidth and longer transmission distances, a new generation of broadband fiber-based technique has now been standardized and developed over the years. EPON is one of the most promising fiber-based access techniques at this...