Distributed communication equipment architectures and techniques

A method comprising:

• providing a communication equipment shelf, the communication equipment shelf comprising slots for receiving electronic circuit cards;
• installing in a first slot of the communication equipment shelf an electronic circuit card of a first type comprising a controller for exchanging control information with a local controllable communication module installed in another slot of the communication equipment shelf;
• and
• installing in a second slot of the equipment shelf an electronic circuit card of a second type, the electronic circuit card of the second type comprising:
• an interface for enabling communication of control information with the controller and for enabling exchange of communication signals with the local controllable communication module and with an upstream communication link through which the communication equipment shelf communicates with upstream communication equipment;
• an expansion module operatively coupled to the interface for transferring control information between the controller and a controllable communication module of expansion communication equipment and for transferring communication signals between the upstream communication link and the expansion communication equipment;
• and
• a configurable communication link interface operatively coupled to the expansion module, the configurable communication link interface enabling provisioning of a further upstream communication link for communication between the communication equipment shelf and the upstream communication equipment and provisioning of an expansion communication link for communication between the communication equipment shelf and the expansion communication equipment,
• the expansion module transferring communication signals between the communication equipment shelf and the upstream communication equipment through the configurable communication link interface and the further upstream communication link where the further upstream communication link is provisioned at the configurable communication link interface, and transferring control information and communication signals between the communication equipment shelf and the expansion communication equipment through the configurable communication link interface and the expansion communication link where the expansion communication link is provisioned at the configurable communication link interface.

An apparatus comprising:

• an expansion module for transferring communication signals between communication equipment and upstream communication equipment, and between the communication equipment and downstream communication equipment;
• and
• a plurality of communication link interfaces operatively coupled to the expansion module, at least one of the plurality of communication link interfaces comprising a configurable communication link interface that enables provisioning of an upstream communication link for communication with the upstream communication equipment and a downstream communication link for communication with the downstream communication equipment,
• the expansion module transferring communication signals between the communication equipment and the upstream communication equipment through the configurable communication link interface and the upstream communication link where the upstream communication link is provisioned at the configurable communication link interface, and transferring communication signal between the communication equipment and the downstream communication equipment through the configurable communication link interface and the downstream communication link where the downstream communication link is provisioned at the configurable communication link interface.