Patent ID: 8666057

Claim:
A subscriber communication node comprising: network communication components that enable the subscriber communication node to communicate with a gateway node and other subscriber communication nodes in a ring topology through electrically conductive twisted wire pairs, the gateway node being located at a pedestal and enabling communication with a network switching device, the electrically conductive twisted wire pairs running between the pedestal and the subscriber communication node; subscriber communication components, operatively coupled to the network communication components, that enable one or more subscriber communication devices to communicate with the network communication components; and a powering arrangement that enables subscriber communication node components including at least the network communication components to be powered either by a local power source or remotely through the electrically conductive twisted wire pairs, wherein a first electrically conductive twisted wire pair at the subscriber communication node is connected to a second electrically conductive twisted wire pair at an adjacent subscriber communication node in the ring topology through a connection between the first and second electrically conductive twisted wire pairs at the pedestal.