Broad band optical fiber telecommunications network

Claim 1

A broadband optical fiber network for connecting subscribers to a head end for provision to said subscribers of broadband video, information and voice communications services, said head end including switching facilities for providing switched voice telephony service and central office functions among such subscribers, said network comprising: a) a group of first upstream optical transmission segments, each of which is associated with a particular subscriber location, b) a source of non-coherent light at each subscriber location for translating electrical signals originating from said subscriber location into a broadband optical signal and for coupling said broadband optical signal to the associated first upstream optical transmission segment, the broadband optical signals originating from the subscriber locations encompassing the same optical band and the electrical signals at each of the subscriber locations being a frequency division multiplexed signal carried within a vestigial sideband signal, c) a group of second upstream optical transmission segments, d) a first means for optically combining the signals of said first upstream optical transmission segments into said group of second upstream optical transmission segments, e) a third upstream optical transmission segment, and f) a second means for optically combining the signals carried by each second upstream optical transmission segment into said third upstream optical transmission segment, said third upstream optical transmission segment connecting said second combining means to said head end.