Optical communication apparatus, optical route switching apparatus and network

An optical communication apparatus configured to convert a client signal supplied from a client communication apparatus into an optical signal suitable for transferring over an optical network, and to convert a received optical signal into a client signal, comprising:

• a distribution unit configured to distribute the client signal that is supplied to a plurality of client signals according to destinations and a communication capacity of each destination;
• an electrical/optical conversion unit configured to convert the distributed client signals to a plurality of optical signals having different center optical frequencies;
• a wavelength division multiplexing unit configured to wavelength division multiplex the plurality of optical signals to output the plurality of optical signals;
• a unit configured to demultiplex a plurality of wavelength division multiplexed optical signals that are wavelength division multiplexed for each wavelength;
• an optical/electrical conversion unit configured to convert the demultiplexes optical signals into electrical signals;
• and
• a multiplexing output unit configured to multiplex the plurality of electrical signals converted by the optical/electrical conversion unit, and to output the multiplexed electrical signal as a client signal without conversion or after converting the multiplexed electrical signal to an optical signal.