Method and system to implement a demarcation point between a provider network and a customer network

1. A system installed in a cross-border area between a provider network of a provider and a customer network of a customer, wherein the system comprises:

a smart optical network termination device (NT) at a site of the customer, wherein the smart optical NT is configured to implement a demarcation point between the customer network and the provider network, and wherein the smart optical NT is independent of a data rate passing through it and an optical interface connected to it; and

a monitoring device located at a point of presence (POP) of the provider network;

wherein the smart optical NT is further configured to monitor a coupling of optical power by the customer into the provider network and to interact with the monitoring device via at least one traffic analysis point (TAP) for connectivity validation from the POP to the demarcation point;

wherein the smart optical NT is configured to, based on a customer signal coming from the customer endpoint not being available at the smart optical NT, switch to a loop operation mode and loop a signal from the POP back to the POP;

wherein the smart optical NT is configured to, based on a customer signal being present at the smart optical NT, switch from the loop operation mode to a pass-through mode in which the smart optical NT transmits signals coming through the provider network to a customer endpoint of the customer site; and

wherein the monitoring device is configured to check optical fiber integrity on an optical path from the PoP towards the customer by implementing an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) function.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the smart optical NT is realized by a 2×2 optical switch, by a combination of two 1×2 optical switches, or by a combination of a passive optical coupler and a 1×2 optical switch.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein monitoring the coupling of optical power by the customer into the provider network comprises disconnecting a customer connection from the provider network based on the optical power to be coupled by the customer into the provider network exceeding a laser safety threshold and/or a defined optical input power threshold.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to detect the looped-back signal and verify fiber integrity and insertion loss for an optical path from the POP to the demarcation point.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device is further configured to monitor bandwidth usage by measuring an actual available bandwidth on an optical path from the POP to the demarcation point in granular steps of 1 Gb/s, 10 Gb/s, 25 Gb/s and ≥100 Gb/s to determine if the customer is using a 1G, 10G, 25G or ≥100G signal.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device comprises an internal switch enabling the monitoring device to be used at once for a plurality of different access lines to any one of a number of connected service creation platforms.

7. A method for implementing a demarcation point between a provider network of a provider and a customer network of a customer, comprising:

installing a smart optical network termination device (NT) at a site of the customer, the smart optical NT implementing the demarcation point between the customer network and the provider network, wherein the smart optical NT is independent of a data rate passing through it and an optical interface connected to it;

installing a monitoring device at a point of presence (POP) of the provider network;

monitoring a coupling of optical power by the customer into the provider network by the smart optical NT;

providing an interaction connection between the smart optical NT and the monitoring device via at least one traffic analysis point (TAP) for connectivity validation from the POP to the demarcation point; and

monitoring connectivity from the POP to the demarcation point;

wherein based on a customer signal coming from the customer endpoint not being available at the smart optical NT, the smart optical NT switches to a loop operation mode and loops a signal from the POP back to the POP;

wherein based on a customer signal being present at the smart optical NT, the smart optical NT switches from the loop operation mode to a pass-through mode in which the smart optical NT transmits signals coming through the provider network to a customer endpoint of the customer site; and

wherein the monitoring device checks optical fiber integrity on an optical path from the PoP towards the customer by implementing an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) function.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein monitoring the coupling of optical power by the customer into the provider network comprises:

disconnecting a customer connection from the provider network based on the optical power to be coupled by the customer into the provider network exceeding a laser safety threshold and/or a defined optical input power threshold.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the monitoring device detects the looped back signal and verifies fiber integrity and insertion loss for an optical path from the POP to the demarcation point.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the monitoring device monitors bandwidth usage by measuring an actual available bandwidth on an optical path from the POP to the demarcation point, in granular steps of 1 Gb/s, 10 Gb/s, 25 Gb/s and ≥100 Gb/s to determine if the customer is using a 1G, 10G, 25G or ≥100G signal.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein an internal switch is installed at the monitoring device enabling the monitoring device to be used at once for a plurality of different access lines to any one of a number of service creation platforms.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon for implementing a demarcation point between a provider network of a provider and a customer network of a customer, the processor-executable instructions, when executed, facilitating:

monitoring, by a smart optical network termination device (NT) at a site of the customer, a coupling of optical power by the customer into the provider network by the smart optical NT, wherein the smart optical NT implements the demarcation point between the customer network and the provider network, and wherein the smart optical NT is independent of a data rate passing through it and an optical interface connected to it; and

monitoring connectivity from a point of presence (POP) of the provider network to the demarcation point, wherein an interaction connection between the smart optical NT and a monitoring device at the POP is provided via at least one traffic analysis point (TAP) for connectivity validation from the POP to the demarcation point;

wherein the smart optical NT is configured to, based on a customer signal coming from the customer endpoint not being available at the smart optical NT, switch to a loop operation mode and loop a signal from the POP back to the POP;

wherein the smart optical NT is configured to, based on a customer signal being present at the smart optical NT, switch from the loop operation mode to a pass-through mode in which the smart optical NT transmits signals coming through the provider network to a customer endpoint of the customer site; and

wherein the monitoring device is configured to check optical fiber integrity on an optical path from the POP towards the customer by implementing an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) function.