System and method for a subscriber-powered network element

A customer premise power injector device for electrically powering an optical network unit (ONU) of a wide area network, the customer premise power injector device disposed for use intermediate to a subscriber terminal and the ONU, the customer premise power injector device comprising:

• a first electrical port disposed to couple to a first transmission line for coupling to the subscriber terminal;
• a second electrical port disposed to couple to a second transmission line for coupling to the ONU and disposed to receiving a data signal at a first frequency and disposed to receiving a message regarding a DC power on a second frequency;
• a third electrical port disposed to couple to mains power;
• a DC power source coupled to the third electrical port and for converting the mains power to the DC power;
• and
• an electrical coupling device coupled to the first electrical port and the electrical coupling device coupled to the second electrical port, wherein the electrical coupling device is disposed to pass subscriber communications from the subscriber terminal received from the first electrical port to the second electrical port and wherein the electrical coupling device is disposed to pass the data signal at a the first frequency from the ONU received from the second electrical port to the first electrical port and wherein the electrical coupling device is coupled to the DC power source and the electrical coupling device is disposed to pass the DC power for the OW to the second electrical port.