System and method for implementing a high capacity unrepeatered optical communication system

An unrepeatered optical communication system comprising:

• a first pump source of an unrepeatered optical communication system coupled to a first end of a first transmission fiber, the first pump source adapted to generate a first pump signal for receipt by the first transmission fiber;
• a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA) coupled to a second end of the first transmission fiber and to a first end of a second transmission fiber, the ROPA adapted to receive an optical signal from the first transmission fiber of the unrepeatered communication system, the ROPA comprising a rare-earth doped optical fiber, the first pump signal amplifying the optical signal within at least a portion of the first transmission fiber through Raman amplification, the optical signal comprising a plurality of optical signal wavelengths;
• and
• a second pump source coupled to a second end of the second transmission fiber, the second pump source adapted to generate a second pump signal and to communicate at least a portion of the second pump signal to the ROPA, the second pump signal comprising at least one pump signal wavelength operable to excite the rare-earth doped fiber, the second pump signal counter-propagating with the optical signal within at least a portion of the second transmission fiber, the at least a portion of the second transmission fiber comprising a distributed Raman amplifier operable to amplify the optical signal through Raman amplification.