Optical communications networks utilizing frequency division multiplexing

A node for use in optical communications networks comprising:

• a transmitter data path comprising:
• a plurality of high-speed transmitters, each high-speed transmitter for multiplexing a plurality of low-speed channels into an optical high-speed channel, at least one high-speed transmitter comprising:
• an FDM multiplexer for FDM multiplexing a plurality of the low-speed channels into an electrical high-speed channel, and
• an E/O converter coupled to the FDM multiplexer for converting the electrical high-speed channel to one of the optical high-speed channels;
• and
• a WDM multiplexer optically coupled to the plurality of high-speed transmitters for WDM multiplexing the optical high-speed channels into a multi-wavelength optical channel;
• and
• a receive data path comprising:
• a WDM demultiplexer for WDM demultiplexing a multi-wavelength optical channel into a plurality of optical high-speed channels;
• and
• a plurality of high-speed receivers optically coupled to the WDM demultiplexer, each high-speed receiver for demultiplexing one of the optical high-speed channels into a plurality of low-speed electrical channels, at least one high-speed receiver comprising:
• an O/E converter for converting one of the optical high-speed channels to an electrical high-speed channel;
• and
• an FDM demultiplexer coupled to the O/E converter for FDM demultiplexing the electrical high-speed channel into a plurality of the low-speed electrical channels.