Patent ID: 7583689

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an interface for enabling communication of control information with a controller, the controller being for exchanging control information with a local controllable communication module of communication equipment, the interface further enabling exchange of communication signals with the local controllable communication module and with an upstream communication link through which the communication equipment communicates with upstream communication equipment; an expansion module operatively coupled to the interface for transferring control information between the controller and a controllable communication module of expansion communication equipment and for transferring communication signals between the upstream communication link and the expansion communication equipment; and a configurable communication link interface operatively coupled to the expansion module, the configurable communication link interface enabling provisioning of a further upstream communication link for communication between the communication equipment and the upstream communication equipment and provisioning of an expansion communication link for communication between the communication equipment and the expansion communication equipment, the expansion module transferring communication signals between the communication equipment and the upstream communication equipment through the configurable communication link interface and the further upstream communication link where the further upstream communication link is provisioned at the configurable communication link interface, and transferring control information and communication signals between the communication equipment and the expansion communication equipment through the configurable communication link interface and the expansion communication link where the expansion communication link is provisioned at the configurable communication link interface.