Patent ID: 7748023

Claim:
An apparatus for connecting a subscriber device supporting a legacy frequency band, occupying the frequency range of 0-1 GHz, to a wideband distribution network supporting a wide frequency band including at least a legacy downstream frequency band and a legacy upstream frequency band comprised in said legacy frequency band, an extended upstream frequency band, occupying the frequency range of 2-3 GHz, exterior to said legacy frequency band and not supported by said subscriber device, and an extended downstream frequency band occupying the frequency range of 1-2 GHz, exterior to said legacy frequency band and not supported by said subscriber device; the apparatus comprising: an up-converter to up-convert a subscriber upstream signal within a subscriber upstream frequency band within said legacy frequency band supported by said subscriber device, into an up-converted upstream signal within an upstream sub-band of said extended upstream frequency band; and a down-converter to down-convert an extended downstream signal in said extended downstream frequency band into a down-converted downstream signal within a downstream frequency band supported by said subscriber device.