Patent ID: 7435013

Claim:
A variable dispersion compensation equipment comprising an optical switch having M input terminals and M output terminals and capable of connecting any desired one of the input terminal and one of the output terminals, N input units connected to the input terminals of the optical switch, N output units connected to the output terminals of the optical switch, two or more but (M−N) or fewer dispersion compensating modules provided between one of the output terminals and one of the input terminals of the optical switch so as to compensate for dispersion of an optical signal from a connected output terminal of the optical switch and to provide a compensated optical signal and to transmit the compensated optical signal to a connected input terminal of the optical switch, and a controller for controlling the change-over of the optical switch, wherein: optical signals inputted to one of the input units are outputted, after being caused to pass at least one of the dispersion compensating modules, from one of the output units.