Patent ID: 7242859

Claim:
A communication system providing tandem protection in a ring network, the system comprising: a hub network element having a transceiver transmitting and receiving a signal on said ring network in multiple directions to define a clockwise signal and a counter-clockwise signal and a protection transceiver transmitting and receiving a protection signal on said ring network in a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction; at least one remote network element in communication with said hub network, said remote network element including a clockwise transceiver and a counter-clockwise transceiver; said remote network element including a selector for selecting a signal from one of said clockwise transceiver and said counter-clockwise transceiver for transmission to a service interface; said remote network element including a protection component for transmitting and receiving said protection signal generated by said protection transceiver; said protection component operating in a loop back mode when said transceiver of said hub network element is operational, said protection component coupling said protection signal to said clockwise transceiver and said counter-clockwise transceiver when said transceiver is not operational providing 1:N protection.