Method and system for dispersion maps and enhanced distributed gain effect in long haul telecommunications

A transmission span for a telecommunications link, said span comprising:

• a first segment comprising a first optical fiber having a first fiber length and a first physical property;
• a second segment comprising a second optical fiber having a second fiber length and a second physical property;
• a third segment comprising a third optical fiber having a third fiber length and a third physical property;
• and
• a fourth segment comprising a fourth optical fiber having a fourth fiber length and a fourth physical property, said first and third segments optically coupled to opposing ends of the second segment and said second and fourth segments optically coupled to opposing ends of the third segment, and wherein at least one of said second, third, and fourth physical properties is different from the first physical property.

A telecommunications system for communicating an optical signal, comprising:

• a first transmission span;
• wherein the first transmission span includes
• a first segment comprising a first optical fiber having a first fiber length and a first physical property,
• a second segment comprising a second optical fiber having a second fiber length and a second physical property, and
• a third segment comprising a third optical fiber having a third fiber length and a third physical property, said first and third segments optically coupled to opposing ends of the second segment, and wherein at least one of said second and third physical properties is different from the first physical property;
• a first line unit disposed at a first end of the first transmission span;
• and
• a second line unit disposed at a second end of the first transmission span.

A method of communicating data through a transmission link containing a plurality of transmission spans, wherein each span includes at least three optical fibers, wherein at least one of said three optical fibers has a different physical property from the other of said at least three fibers, said optical fibers connected end-to-end, comprising:

• generating an optical data signal containing the data;
• transmitting the optical data signal along the transmission link such that the optical data signal passes through each of said three optical fibers;
• and
• receiving the optical data signal at a receiver.