Sub-Octave RF Stacking for Optical Transport and De-Stacking for Distribution

A method for transporting a digital signal through a system, the method comprising the steps of:

• addressing a digital signal, wherein the address requires transmission of the digital signal to a premises in the system via a particular modem;
• modulating the digital signal onto a radio frequency “f0” at the particular modem;
• mixing the radio frequency “f0” to a unique radio frequency signal “fn”, wherein “fn” is unique to the particular modem;
• transferring the digital signal on the unique radio frequency “fn” to a first converter;
• stacking the digital signal “fn” with at least one other digital signal “fn+1” onto an optical wavelength (λ) at the first converter;
• transmitting the stacked digital signals, as an optical signal, downstream over an optical fiber from the first converter to a second converter;
• de-stacking the digital signals at the second converter to segregate the digital signals according to their respective unique radio frequency “fn”;
• and
• distributing each of the de-stacked signals to a respective node according to address information in the respective digital signal for further downstream transmission to the premises.

A system for transporting a digital signal, wherein the digital signal is carried on a radio frequency “fn”, the system comprising:

• a means for stacking the digital signal “fn” onto an optical wavelength (λ) together with another digital signal being carried on a radio frequency “fn+1”;
• an optical fiber for transmitting the stacked digital signals, as an optical signal, downstream over the optical fiber;
• and
• a means for de-stacking the digital signals, after transmission over the optical fiber, to segregate the digital signals according to their respective unique radio frequency “fn”.