A network system comprising: an access device (36, 120) comprising: a routing component configured for communication with an access network and an aggregation network, wherein the routing component maintains routing information between subscriber devices connected to the access network and the aggregation network; and a plurality of forwarding components (130A-130N) coupled to the routing component and configured to send and receive data packets via respective interface cards, at least one interface card comprising an optical interface module that outputs a plurality of pairs of optical communication signals, each of the pairs of optical communication signals comprising a modulated optical transmit signal and an unmodulated optical receive signal, each of the pairs of optical communication signals having a different wavelength; and a customer premise equipment, CPE, (38, 50) provided in the access network and configured for communication between subscriber devices connected to the access network and the access network, the CPE comprising an optical interface module to receive the modulated optical transmit signal and the unmodulated optical receive signal for any of the plurality of pairs of optical communication signals, wherein the optical interface module includes a receive module to demodulate the modulated optical transmit signal into inbound symbols and a transmit module having an optical modulator and reflective optics to modulate the unmodulated optical receive signal in accordance with a data signal and reflect a modulated optical receive signal to communicate outbound data symbols to the access device, wherein the optical interface module of the access device comprises a plurality of pairs of optical emitters, and wherein each of the pairs of optical emitters having a first optical emitter that outputs the modulated optical transmit signal at one of the wavelengths and a second optical emitter that outputs the unmodulated optical receive signal at the same one of the wavelengths wherein the access device comprises a plurality of schedulers, each of the schedulers corresponding to a different set of one or more CPEs, and wherein each of the schedulers schedules, for a respective one of the pairs of optical communication signals, downstream communication to the respective set of CPEs by the modulated optical transmit signal and upstream communication from the respective set of CPEs by the unmodulated optical receive signal. an access device (36, 120) comprising: a routing component configured for communication with an access network and an aggregation network, wherein the routing component maintains routing information between subscriber devices connected to the access network and the aggregation network; and a plurality of forwarding components (130A-130N) coupled to the routing component and configured to send and receive data packets via respective interface cards, at least one interface card comprising an optical interface module that outputs a plurality of pairs of optical communication signals, each of the pairs of optical communication signals comprising a modulated optical transmit signal and an unmodulated optical receive signal, each of the pairs of optical communication signals having a different wavelength; and a customer premise equipment, CPE, (38, 50) provided in the access network and configured for communication between subscriber devices connected to the access network and the access network, the CPE comprising an optical interface module to receive the modulated optical transmit signal and the unmodulated optical receive signal for any of the plurality of pairs of optical communication signals, wherein the optical interface module includes a receive module to demodulate the modulated optical transmit signal into inbound symbols and a transmit module having an optical modulator and reflective optics to modulate the unmodulated optical receive signal in accordance with a data signal and reflect a modulated optical receive signal to communicate outbound data symbols to the access device, wherein the optical interface module of the access device comprises a plurality of pairs of optical emitters, and wherein each of the pairs of optical emitters having a first optical emitter that outputs the modulated optical transmit signal at one of the wavelengths and a second optical emitter that outputs the unmodulated optical receive signal at the same one of the wavelengths wherein the access device comprises a plurality of schedulers, each of the schedulers corresponding to a different set of one or more CPEs, and wherein each of the schedulers schedules, for a respective one of the pairs of optical communication signals, downstream communication to the respective set of CPEs by the modulated optical transmit signal and upstream communication from the respective set of CPEs by the unmodulated optical receive signal.