An optical access network comprising a customer side termination node, a primary network side termination node and a secondary network side termination node, wherein - the primary network side termination node comprises a first transceiver arrangement connected to a first optical link and configured to send a first signal (s 1) to the customer side termination node via the first link; - the secondary network side termination node comprises a second transceiver arrangement connected to a second optical link and configured for sending a second signal (s 2) to the customer side termination node via the second link; - the access network comprises either a remote node, wherein the first link and the second link are connected to the remote node and the customer side termination node is connected to the remote node; or a first remote node and a second remote node, wherein the first link is connected to the first remote node and the second link is connected to the second remote node and the customer side termination node is connected to both remote nodes by means of separate optical access links, and - the customer side termination node comprises a transceiver for receiving the first signal (s 1) and the second signal (s 2), characterized in that - the primary network side termination node has a link failure detector for receiving a monitoring signal (p, d us) emitted by a loopback element of the transceiver of the customer side termination node via the first link for indicating whether the first signal (s 1) is present at the customer side termination node, detecting a link failure of the first link depending on the monitoring signal (p, d us) and deactivating the transceiver (L2-1 CC1, L2-1 CC2, L2-1 CCn) of the primary network side termination node if it has detected the link failure; and - the secondary network side termination node has a link failure detector for receiving the monitoring signal (p, d us) emitted by the loopback element of the transceiver of the customer side termination node via the second link for indicating whether the first signal (s 1) is present at the customer side termination node, detecting the link failure of the first link depending on the monitoring signal (p, d us) and activating the transceiver (L2-2 CC1, L2-2 CC2, L2-2 CCn) of the secondary network side termination node if it has detected the link failure. - the primary network side termination node comprises a first transceiver arrangement connected to a first optical link and configured to send a first signal (s 1) to the customer side termination node via the first link; - the secondary network side termination node comprises a second transceiver arrangement connected to a second optical link and configured for sending a second signal (s 2) to the customer side termination node via the second link; - the access network comprises either a remote node, wherein the first link and the second link are connected to the remote node and the customer side termination node is connected to the remote node; or a first remote node and a second remote node, wherein the first link is connected to the first remote node and the second link is connected to the second remote node and the customer side termination node is connected to both remote nodes by means of separate optical access links, and - the customer side termination node comprises a transceiver for receiving the first signal (s 1) and the second signal (s 2), - the primary network side termination node has a link failure detector for receiving a monitoring signal (p, d us) emitted by a loopback element of the transceiver of the customer side termination node via the first link for indicating whether the first signal (s 1) is present at the customer side termination node, detecting a link failure of the first link depending on the monitoring signal (p, d us) and deactivating the transceiver (L2-1 CC1, L2-1 CC2, L2-1 CCn) of the primary network side termination node if it has detected the link failure; and - the secondary network side termination node has a link failure detector for receiving the monitoring signal (p, d us) emitted by the loopback element of the transceiver of the customer side termination node via the second link for indicating whether the first signal (s 1) is present at the customer side termination node, detecting the link failure of the first link depending on the monitoring signal (p, d us) and activating the transceiver (L2-2 CC1, L2-2 CC2, L2-2 CCn) of the secondary network side termination node if it has detected the link failure.