UNREPEATERED OPTICAL SEGMENT FOR USE WITH REPEATERED SERIES OF OPTICAL SEGMENTS

摘要

An optical communications network that includes an unrepeatered optical segment that optically couples a remote terminal to a branching unit optically coupled within a series of repeatered optical segments. The unrepeatered optical segment may be quite long through the use of Raman amplification and/or remote optical pumped amplifiers thereby extending the reach of the unrepeatered optical segment. The branching unit or one of the repeaters may optionally be configured, perhaps remotely, to perform Raman amplification.