A system for distributed fault recovery in a communication system including a plurality of cable stations (210a...210m), said system comprising: a plurality of master controllers (227a...227m), each of said master controllers (227a...227m) being associated with one of said cable stations (210a...210m), each of said cable stations (210a...210m) configured to communicate with other of said cable stations (210a...210m) along a communication path, each said master controller (227a...227m) being configured for receiving local alarms indicating a fault in one or more network elements (223a...223N) associated with said cable stations (210a...210m), and each said master controller (227a...227m) being provisioned with associated fault data (242a...242m) and recovery data (244a...244m); and characterised by a communication network between each of said master controllers (227a...227m), whereby each of said plurality of master controllers (227a...227m) is configured for communication with a plurality of other ones of said plurality of master controllers (227a...227m), and each one of said master controllers(227a...227m) is configured for receiving remote alarms from said other ones of said master controllers (227a...227m), said remote alarms indicating a fault in one or more network elements associated with said other ones of said cable stations (210a...210m), each of said master controllers (227a...227m) being configured for performing a fault recovery function for modifying communication between one or more of said cable stations (210a...210m) on said communication path if said local alarms or said remote alarms correspond to a fault profile included in said fault data (242a...242m) or a recovery profile included in said recovery data (244a...244m). a plurality of master controllers (227a...227m), each of said master controllers (227a...227m) being associated with one of said cable stations (210a...210m), each of said cable stations (210a...210m) configured to communicate with other of said cable stations (210a...210m) along a communication path, each said master controller (227a...227m) being configured for receiving local alarms indicating a fault in one or more network elements (223a...223N) associated with said cable stations (210a...210m), and each said master controller (227a...227m) being provisioned with associated fault data (242a...242m) and recovery data (244a...244m); and characterised by a communication network between each of said master controllers (227a...227m), whereby each of said plurality of master controllers (227a...227m) is configured for communication with a plurality of other ones of said plurality of master controllers (227a...227m), and each one of said master controllers(227a...227m) is configured for receiving remote alarms from said other ones of said master controllers (227a...227m), said remote alarms indicating a fault in one or more network elements associated with said other ones of said cable stations (210a...210m), each of said master controllers (227a...227m) being configured for performing a fault recovery function for modifying communication between one or more of said cable stations (210a...210m) on said communication path if said local alarms or said remote alarms correspond to a fault profile included in said fault data (242a...242m) or a recovery profile included in said recovery data (244a...244m).