Circuitry of a hybrid fiber-coaxial network may comprise a first transceiver configured to connect the circuitry to an optical link, a second transceiver configured to connect the circuitry to an electrical link, a first processing path, a second processing path, and a switching circuit. In a first configuration, the switching circuit may couple the first transceiver to the second transceiver via the first processing path. In a second configuration, the switching circuit may couple the first transceiver to the second transceiver via the second processing path. The first transceiver may comprise a passive optical network (PON) transceiver and the second transceiver may comprise a data over coaxial service interface specification (DOCSIS) physical layer transceiver. The switching circuit may be configured based on the type of headend to which the circuitry is connected.

A MSO deploying a standard OLT, and installed with ONUs to be used by customers to whom the MSO can connect using optical fiber. For customers that cannot be reached with optical fiber, the MSO deploys a converter between the optical fiber and the coax network so that the MSO can use the same standard OLT, and use CNUs for those customers attached to the coax network.

Networks and network elements having a service and power control orchestrator are disclosed, including a network element comprising a processor; a first port coupled to a first optical link carrying a first optical signal; a WSS having a multiplexer, a demultiplexer, and a control block operable to control the multiplexer/demultiplexer. The WSS operable to switch the first optical signal into a second optical signal. A second port is coupled to a second optical link, operable to carry the second optical signal, and in optical communication with the WSS. A memory stores an orchestrator application, an OTSA component, a service component, and instructions that cause the processor to: store a logical ROADM model having a connectivity matrix of the network element; receive a communication associated with the control block based on the logical ROADM model; and transmit, to the control block, a service loading sequence based on the logical ROADM model.

A modular connector infrastructure includes device connector modules having optical connectors to optically connect to respective subsets of electronic devices in a system. The device connector modules are removably connected to the electronic devices.

A backbone network (100) for use in an optical wireless communication system comprises one or more local switches (200) and one or more optical access points (300), APs, wherein local switches (200) are configured to provide to optical APs (300) connections to an external network. Each local switch (200) comprises a first type optical front end (210), OFE, having a rotatable orientation and a beam angle not larger than 60 degrees, and a second type OFE (230) having a 360-degree beam angle on the rotation plane of the first type OFE. Each optical AP comprises an OFE (310) having a rotatable orientation and a beam angle not larger than 60 degrees. The pairing and beam alignment between the first type OFE of a local switch and the OFE of an optical AP is achieved via the assist of the second type OFE of the local switch.

A system for communicating wireless signals includes a passive optical network (PON) between a central office (CO) and network subscribers. The CO has an optical line terminal (OLT) and a wireless base station. An RF/Optic converter converts base station radio frequency (RF) signals to and from corresponding optical signals. An optical combiner combines signals of the OLT and signals of the RF/Optic converter for communication over the PON with at least one optical network unit (ONU) at a location of one or more of the network subscribers, so that signals of the OLT and converted wireless base station signals are carried together over the PON. A fiber mounted wireless antenna unit (FMCA) having an optical interface and a wireless antenna, and communicating wireless signals of the wireless antenna with the ONU, including performing conversions between wireless RF signals and optical signals.

An optical switch fabric includes horizontal optical waveguides including a first set and a second set, the first set is configured to receive a first plurality of wavelengths from the one or more external switches and the second set is configured to send a second plurality of wavelengths to the one or more external switches; wavelength-selective drop optical switches associated with the first set, wherein the wavelength-selective drop optical switches are each configured to drop a selected wavelength from a horizontal optical waveguide of the first set to an associated vertical optical waveguide of vertical optical waveguides; and controllable optical switches associated with the vertical optical waveguides, wherein the controllable optical switches are each configured to direct a selected wavelength from a vertical optical waveguide to a horizontal optical waveguide of the second set.

Systems and methods for performing an upstream trace operation are presented. An exemplary method may include obtaining an indication of a new service location of a passive optical network (PON); detecting a physical polyline route, within the PON, from an on-ramp facility corresponding to the new service location to a serving office of the PON, the detecting based on (i) respective geospatial locations of a plurality of optical components of the PON, and (ii) interconnections of the plurality of optical components, and the plurality of optical components including the on-ramp location, a terminal disposed at the serving office, and at least one optical fiber optically connecting the on-ramp location and the terminal; and causing optical services to be delivered from the serving office to the new service location via the detected physical polyline route.

An object of the present invention is to provide an optical access network that has high reliability for supporting information communication services and efficiently responds to difficult-to-predict optical fiber demand. An optical access network configuration according to the present invention includes an optical fiber cable 11 that is looped to connect a wiring section 25 and an exchange office 10 together (hereinafter, an upper loop), an optical fiber cable 21 that is looped and laid in each wiring section 25 (hereinafter, a lower loop), and an optical fiber switching function unit 31 installed at a connection point 30 between the upper loop 11 and the lower loop 21. The optical fiber switching function unit 31 is a wiring board or an optical switch which can be switched by connector connection. The wiring board or the optical switch may be remotely controllable.

An optical communication network includes three or more nodes and a domain in which each of transmission paths, that connects two of the three or more nodes within the domain, is constituted by a multi-core fiber or a multi-core fiber connected body in which positions of markers on both end surfaces of the multi-core fiber connected body are swapped.