A optical communication system comprising: first and second cable landing stations (CLS1, CLS2) coupled to a trunk path comprising one or more optical fiber pairs in an optical cable ; at least one hub-node (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64), each of the hub-nodes (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) being coupled to the trunk path between the first and second cable landing stations (CLS1, CLS2) through an associated hub-node branching unit (BU1, BU21...BU51, BU56, BU60, BU64); and characterised by a plurality of sub-nodes (Nodes 27-29, Nodes 31-33, Nodes 35-37, Nodes 57-58, Nodes 61-63), each of the plurality of sub-nodes (Nodes 27-29, Nodes 31-33, Nodes 35-37, Nodes 57-58, Nodes 61-63) being coupled to at least one of the hub-nodes (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) through an associated sub-node branching unit (BUs 27-29, BUs 31-33, BUs 35-37, BUs 57-58, BUs 61-63) and an associated sub-node path comprising one or more additional optical fiber pairs in the optical cable , the associated sub-node path not including the trunk path and whereby sub-node signals may be communicated between each of the plurality of sub-nodes (Nodes 27-29, Nodes 31-33, Nodes 35-37, Nodes 57-58, Nodes 61-63) and the at least one of the hub-nodes (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) coupled thereto without being provided on the trunk path , and whereby data to and from the sub-nodes may be communicated between the at least one hub-node (Node 1, Node 21...Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) and at least one of the first and second cable landing stations (CLS1, CLS2) as an aggregate signal on the trunk path . first and second cable landing stations (CLS1, CLS2) coupled to a trunk path comprising one or more optical fiber pairs in an optical cable ; at least one hub-node (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64), each of the hub-nodes (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) being coupled to the trunk path between the first and second cable landing stations (CLS1, CLS2) through an associated hub-node branching unit (BU1, BU21...BU51, BU56, BU60, BU64); and characterised by a plurality of sub-nodes (Nodes 27-29, Nodes 31-33, Nodes 35-37, Nodes 57-58, Nodes 61-63), each of the plurality of sub-nodes (Nodes 27-29, Nodes 31-33, Nodes 35-37, Nodes 57-58, Nodes 61-63) being coupled to at least one of the hub-nodes (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) through an associated sub-node branching unit (BUs 27-29, BUs 31-33, BUs 35-37, BUs 57-58, BUs 61-63) and an associated sub-node path comprising one or more additional optical fiber pairs in the optical cable , the associated sub-node path not including the trunk path and whereby sub-node signals may be communicated between each of the plurality of sub-nodes (Nodes 27-29, Nodes 31-33, Nodes 35-37, Nodes 57-58, Nodes 61-63) and the at least one of the hub-nodes (Node 1, Node 21... Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) coupled thereto without being provided on the trunk path , and whereby data to and from the sub-nodes may be communicated between the at least one hub-node (Node 1, Node 21...Node 51, Node 56, Node 60, Node 64) and at least one of the first and second cable landing stations (CLS1, CLS2) as an aggregate signal on the trunk path . <EOS>