Optical transmission systems including optical amplifiers and methods of use therein

A method of amplifying optical signals in a network comprising:

• providing at least one first optical amplifier having a first maximum gain and first noise figure and at least one second optical amplifier having a second maximum gain greater than the first maximum gain and a second noise figure greater than the first noise figure;
• provisioning the at least one first optical amplifier in a first span in a link having a first span loss that exceeds the first maximum gain;
• provisioning the at least one second optical amplifier remote from the first optical amplifier in the link in a second span having a second span loss;
• and,
• controlling the at least one second optical amplifier to provide gain that substantially compensates for the second span loss and the difference between the first span loss and the first maximum gain.

A method of amplifying optical signals in a network comprising:

• providing first optical amplifiers having a first maximum gain and first noise figure and second optical amplifiers having a second maximum gain greater than the first maximum gain and a second noise figure greater than the first noise figure;
• provisioning first optical amplifiers discretely along an optical path for at least one span having a span losses that exceeds the first maximum gain;
• provisioning second optical amplifiers discretely along the optical path to compensate for span losses along the optical path;
• and,
• controlling the second optical amplifiers to provide gain that substantially compensates for span losses associated with the second optical amplifiers and the span losses exceeding the first maximum gain of the first optical amplifiers.

An optical system comprising:

• at least one transmitter;
• at least one receiver;
• and,
• a plurality of optical amplifiers discretely disposed along a an optical path between the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver to provide cumulative gain that substantially compensate for a cumulative loss of the optical path, wherein the optical amplifiers include at least a first optical amplifier in a first span in the path having a first span loss that exceeds the first maximum gain and at least a second optical amplifier remote from the first optical amplifier in a second span having a second span loss, and the second optical amplifier provides gain that substantially compensates for the second span loss and the difference between the first span loss and the first maximum gain.