A Broadband Optical Local Network Based on Multiple Wavelengths and Multiple RF Subcarriers

We propose a multi-wavelength local-access optical network that is capable of supporting multiple services with diverse requirements. Integral to the network is an acousto-optic tunable filter which can select multiple non-adjacent wavelengths simultaneously. The use of multi-wavelength selectivity, together with subcarrier multiplexing in the electronic domain, results in simple solutions t o many transmission and switching problems in a multi-service setting. An important conclusion is that multiwavelength selectivity can be used to implement many networking functions not easily realized otherwise.