Migratable wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network

A system for use with a passive optical network (“PON”), the system comprising:

• an array of laser sources to generate downstream wavelength division multiplexing (“WDM”) signals having downstream carrier wavelengths of a WDM-PON wavelength grid;
• an array of photo-detectors to receive upstream WDM signals having upstream carrier wavelengths of the WDM-PON wavelength grid;
• and
• a wavelength interleaving multiplexer/demultiplexer coupled to the array of laser sources and the array of photo-detectors to interleave the downstream WDM signals with the upstream WDM signals such that consecutive communication wavelengths of the WDM-PON wavelength grid are alternately assigned between the downstream and upstream WDM signals,
• wherein the array of laser sources, the array of photo-detectors, and the wavelength interleaving multiplexer/demultiplexer are components of a WDM optical line terminal (“OLT”) for delivering communication services to a first group of customer premises (“CPs) via WDM signals.

A method of migrating from time-division multiplexing (“TDM”) to wavelength-division multiplexing (“WDM”) within a hybrid passive optical network (“PON”), the method comprising:

• initially providing customer premises (“CPs”) communication services via a TDM optical line terminal (“OLT”) using TDM signals broadcast onto the hybrid PON;
• selecting a given CP to migrate from the TDM to the WDM using WDM signals;
• delivering the TDM signals and the WDM signals to a remote node power splitter;
• broadcasting both the TDM signals and the WDM signals on all ports of the remote node power splitter facing towards the CPs including a given CP;
• and
• providing an optical filter disposed between the remote node power splitter and the given CP migrating to the WDM, the optical filter configured to pass the WDM signals associated with the given CP while blocking other WDM signals associated with other CP using WDM.