Patent ID: 7742223

Claim:
An optical communication system comprising: a transmission fiber operable to receive one or more optical signals at a first end of the transmission fiber and one or more pump signals at the first end of the transmission fiber, the one or more optical signals comprising one or more optical signal wavelengths and a power level at within twenty percent of a minimum threshold power level the one or more pump signals co-propagating with at least a portion of the one or more optical signals over at least a portion of the transmission fiber, wherein the first end of the transmission fiber is coupled to a transmitter end terminal adapted to generate the one or more optical signals received at the first end of the transmission fiber; and wherein the one or more pump signals operate to amplify the one or more optical signals to approximately a maximum threshold power level as the one or more pump signals and the one or more optical signals traverse the portion of the transmission fiber, wherein the power level of the one or more optical signals as received into the transmission fiber is less than the maximum threshold power level.