Method and apparatus for downstream timeslot scheduling in multi-rate passive optical networks

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory storing, in a paired relationship, an identification of a specific optical network unit (ONU) and its associated downstream information rate for a plurality of ONUs;
• the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform scheduling of user blocks in a downstream data transmission to the plurality of ONUs in a multi-rate time-division-multiplexed (TDM) passive optical network (PON) such that the user blocks are scheduled based on the stored information rates in a manner that minimizes a transition in information rate between adjacent user blocks in the downstream data transmission, the scheduling utilizing a two-part cycle, with a first part scheduling timeslots from a first information rate to a second information rate and a second, following part scheduling timeslots from the second information rate to the first information rate.