Patent ID: 8275262

Claim:
An access network comprising: an optical access head-end apparatus to implement communication services for respective ones of a plurality of subscribers; a first pedestal apparatus comprising: a first communication interface module comprising a first optical add-drop multiplexer (OADM) to communicatively couple the first pedestal apparatus to the optical access head-end apparatus via a first fiber optic cable segment, the first fiber optic cable segment to transport user data associated with the plurality of subscribers served by the optical access head-end apparatus; a second communication interface module comprising a second OADM to communicatively couple the first pedestal apparatus to a second fiber optic cable segment, the second fiber optic cable segment to transport a first portion of the user data; a third communication interface module to communicatively couple the first pedestal apparatus to a first customer premises and to transport a second portion of the user data associated with a first of the plurality of subscribers to the first customer premises; and a first switch to route the first portion of the user data between the first and second communication interface modules and to route the second portion of the user data between the first and third communication interface modules; and a second pedestal apparatus comprising: a fourth communication interface module comprising a third OADM to communicatively couple the first pedestal apparatus to the second pedestal apparatus via the second fiber optic cable segment; a fifth communication interface module to communicatively couple the second pedestal apparatus to a second customer premises and to transport a third portion of the user data associated with a second of the plurality of subscribers to the second customer premises, the second portion of the user data comprising the third portion of the user data; and a second switch to route the third portion of the user data between the fourth and fifth communication interface modules.