Tellabs, along with solutions integrator VT Group, recently announced the completion of a passive optical LAN (POL) installation at the 52-story Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel. “Though challenged by the Atlanta Marriott Marquis’s center atrium architecture [pictured on this page], the passive optical LAN delivered substantial benefits for Marriott, including less cabling, reduction in telecommunications rooms and a fiber-to-the-room design that efficiently converged guest services,” Tellabs said when announcing the successful project.
“Marriott International has been an advocate for fiber-to-the-room technology for over three years, since it allows them to deliver higher bandwidth, with more security, in a smaller footprint, that benefits their hotel guests, employees, owners and operators,” Tellabs continued. “With this fiber-based infrastructure in place, hotel owners, operators and developers are now in control of their network future; they are no longer technology-dependent and they possess greater flexibility for addressing network change.”
The passive optical LAN architecture enabled the hotel to eliminate 22 would-be telecommunications rooms, which Tellabs said saved more than $100,000 including ongoing operational savings. “Not only did the Tellabs Optical LAN reduce cabling costs, it substantially lowered weight impact, space restrictions and smoke-load for the building,” the company noted.
“The Atlanta Marriott Marquis’s iconic cavernous atrium is spectacular to see, but the architecture challenge it imposed on the network upgrade was momentous to overcome,” said Mike Dagenais, Tellabs’ president and chief executive officer. “Tellabs Optical LAN was the optimal cost-effective answer that delivered improved network performance demanded by Marriott’s guests. The Tellabs Optical LAN was the best choice for Marriott to deliver on the expectations of the tech-savvy guests accessing mobile check-in, location services, mobile room key and digital concierge services from their smartphones, tablets, laptops and even wearable devices.”
John Cook, VT Group’s president of enterprise IT, added, “VT Group prefers designing and implementing passive optical LAN because it gives our engineers many options that ultimately benefit our clients. With the fiber-based infrastructure installed, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis has many choices for WiFi and cellular optimization today and into the future.”
A Tellabs 1150E optical line terminal (OLT) was positioned in a main distribution frame; from there fiber was connected to optical network terminals (ONTs) located behind access paneling in each guest room. In between, there were far fewer, smaller core holes needed per floor than would have been the case with a hierarchical-star topology. Existing custodial closets were used to position the passive optical splitters. This architectural approach is what eliminated the need for 22 telecom rooms.
Marriott chose to have two fiber cables to each guest room. Each room contains a Tellabs 120C Mini ONT. The ONT120C is “purpose-built to be integrated into enclosures or furniture,” Tellabs explained. “Its purpose is to provide the in-room optical-to-electrical conversion and Ethernet connectivity. It transmits and receives the GPON signal from the OLT in the main data center and delivers standards-based gigabit-speed connectivity at its Ethernet interfaces—and delivers Power over Ethernet to the subtended powered devices.” At the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Tellabs noted, the ONT120C is secured inside electrical boxes or drywall mud rings, and only exposes a flush faceplate. The ONT is located behind a hidden access panel that is part of an all-wood TV entertainment center built into each room. Inside the access panel, there is the fiber termination, remote power connection, ONT120C, TV STB and Ruckus WiFi access point.
