System and Method for Extending Reach in a Passive Optical Network

A system for extending reach in a passive optical network (PON), comprising:

• a transmitter at a first optical network unit (ONU) in a PON configured to transmit traffic at a first wavelength;
• a transmitter at a second optical network unit (ONU) in the PON configured to transmit traffic at a second wavelength;
• and
• a multiplexer at a distribution node in the PON comprising a first input port and a second input port and configured to:
• receive the traffic in the first wavelength at the first input port;
• receive the traffic in the second wavelength at the second input port;
• and
• forward the traffic in the first wavelength and the traffic in the second wavelength to an optical line terminal (OLT) in the PON.

A method for extending reach in a passive optical network (PON), comprising:

• transmitting upstream traffic at a first wavelength in a first time-slot from a first ONU in a PON;
• transmitting upstream traffic at a second wavelength in a second time-slot from a second ONU in the PON;
• transmitting upstream traffic at the first wavelength in a third time-slot from a third ONU in the PON;
• transmitting upstream traffic at the second wavelength in a fourth time-slot from a fourth ONU in the PON, wherein only the traffic in the first wavelength is transmitted in the first time-slot, only the traffic in the second wavelength is transmitted in the second time-slot, only the traffic in the first wavelength is transmitted in the third time-slot, and only the traffic in the second wavelength is transmitted in the fourth time-slot;
• receiving the upstream traffic in the first wavelength at a first input port of a multiplexer at a distribution node;
• receiving the traffic in the second wavelength at a second input port of the multiplexer at the distribution node;
• forwarding the traffic in the first wavelength and the traffic in the second wavelength to an optical line terminal (OLT);
• and
• receiving the traffic in the first wavelength and the traffic in the second wavelength at a single receiver at the OLT.