T-carrier multiplexer and demultiplexer with add/drop capability

A multiplexer device for processing telecommunications signals, the multiplexer module comprising:

• a first add/drop multiplexer module having at least a pair of T3 connections for transferring at least two T3 communications, at least twenty-eight T1 connections for transferring at least twenty-eight T1 communications, and at least one Ethernet connection for transferring at least one Ethernet communication, wherein the add/drop multiplexer module is configured to selectively add at least a selected one of an Ethernet signal from the Ethernet connection and a T1 communication from the T1 connection into one or more of the T3 communications, and to selectively remove at least a selected one of an Ethernet communication and a T1 communication from at least one T3 communication and provide it to at least one of the T1 connections and the Ethernet connections;
• a second add/drop multiplexer module having at least a pair of T3 connections for transferring at least two T3 communications, at least twenty-eight T1 connections for transferring at least twenty-eight T1 communications, and at least one Ethernet connection for transferring at least one Ethernet communication, wherein the add/drop multiplexer module is configured to selectively add at least a selected one of an Ethernet signal from the Ethernet connection and a T1 communication from the T1 connection into one or more of the T3 communications, and to selectively remove at least a selected one of an Ethernet communication and a T1 communication from at least one T3 communication and provide it to at least one of the T1 connections and the Ethernet connections;
• a T1 port exposed by the multiplexer for passing T1 communications to and from at least one of the first and second add/drop multiplexer modules;
• an Ethernet data port exposed by the multiplexer for passing Ethernet communications to and from at least one of the first and second add/drop multiplexer modules;
• a selector for selectively connecting a pair of T3 connections to a set of T3 ports exposed by the multiplexer module, wherein the pair of T3 connections is selected from the pair of T3 connections of the first add/drop multiplexer module and the pair of T3 connections of the second add/drop multiplexer module;
• and
• a control module for receiving a control signal and for controlling one or more of the first add/drop multiplexer module, the second add/drop multiplexer module, and the selector.