Patent ID: 7512343

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first multiplexer having a first input and a second input, wherein the first multiplexer is configured to combine first band signals at the first input and second band signals at the second input and generate a first combined signal, wherein the first band signals are propagating in a first direction and the second band signals are propagating in a second direction; a first amplifier module coupled to the first multiplexer to receive and amplify the first combined signal, wherein the first amplifier module includes a first dispersion compensation module configured to compensate dispersion in the first combined signal; and a first demultiplexer having a first output and second output and an input coupled to the first amplifier module, wherein the first demultiplexer is configured to separate the first band signals and second band signals from the first combined signal and to redirect the first band signals to the first output and the second band signals to the second output of the first demultiplexer.