Dynamic Bandwidth Slicing in Passive Optical Networks to Empower Federated Learning

Federated Learning (FL) is a decentralized machine learning method in which individual devices compute local models based on their data. In FL, devices periodically share newly trained updates with the central server, rather than submitting their raw data. The key characteristics of FL, including on-device training and aggregation, make it interesting for many communication domains. Moreover, the potential of new systems facilitating FL in sixth generation (6G) enabled Passive Optical Networks (PON), presents a promising opportunity for integration within this domain. This article focuses on the interaction between FL and PON, exploring approaches for effective bandwidth management, particularly in addressing the complexity introduced by FL traffic. In the PON standard, advanced bandwidth management is proposed by allocating multiple upstream grants utilizing the Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation (DBA) algorithm to be allocated for an Optical Network Unit (ONU). However, there is a lack of research on studying the utilization of multiple grant allocation. In this paper, we address this limitation by introducing a novel DBA approach that efficiently allocates PON bandwidth for FL traffic generation and demonstrates how multiple grants can benefit from the enhanced capacity of implementing PON in carrying out FL flows. Simulations conducted in this study show that the proposed solution outperforms state-of-the-art solutions in several network performance metrics, particularly in reducing upstream delay. This improvement holds great promise for enabling real-time data-intensive services that will be key components of 6G environments. Furthermore, our discussion outlines the potential for the integration of FL and PON as an operational reality capable of supporting 6G networking.