Communication system using optical fibers

• US 20020048071A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Ning, Suzuki, Yasunori, Nojima, Toshio, Tarusawa, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/141
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25755 Ring network topology

Abstract

A divider/combiner unit combines RF signals, then converts the combined signal into an optical signal and sends it over an optical fiber. N radio access units each convert the optical signal received from the optical fiber into an RF signal and transmits it from an antenna, and each radio access unit converts an RF signal received by the antenna into an optical signal and sends it over an optical fiber to the divider/combiner unit. The divider/combiner unit converts the received optical signal into RF signals and outputs them. This system is operated as plurality of communication systems in common to them in correspondence to a plurality of input/output terminals of the divider/combiner unit.

Claims

1. A communication system using optical fibers, said communication system comprising:

down- and up-link optical fibers;

N radio access units, each of which has antenna means connected to said down- and up-link optical fibers, converts a down-link optical signal received from said down-link optical fiber to a down-link RF signal and sends said down-link RF signal by said antenna means, and converts an up-link RF signal received by said antenna means to an up-link optical signal and sends said up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber, said N being an integer equal to or greater than 1; and

a divider/combiner unit which;

has a plurality of input/output terminals;

forms first and second communication systems corresponding to said plurality of input/output terminals, together with said down- and up-link optical fibers and said N radio access units connected to said down- and up-link optical fibers, respectively;

converts a down-link RF signal input to each of said input/output terminals into an optical signal, and sends the converted optical signal as said down-link optical signal via said down-link optical fiber to those of said radio access units corresponding said first and second communication systems; and

converts said up-link optical signal, sent over said up-link optical fiber from said radio access units corresponding to said first and second communication systems, into an up-link RF signal, and providing said up-link RF signal input to each of said input/output terminal corresponding said first and second communication systems

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said first and second communication systems are mobile communication systems and wireless LAN communication systems of different frequency bands.

3. The communication system of claim 1 or 2, wherein said divider/combiner unit comprises:

a multiplexer connected to two different input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals, for multiplexing mobile communication RF signal and wireless LAN RF signal of different frequency bands input from said two different input terminals;

an electro/optic converter for converting the output from said multiplexer into an optical signal and providing said optical signal to said down-link optical fiber;

an opto/electric converter for converting an optical signal, received from said up-link optical fiber, into an electric RF signal; and

a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the output from said opto/electric converter into mobile communication RF signal and wireless LAN RF signal of different frequency bands and providing said mobile communication RF signal and wireless LAN RF signal to two different output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

4. The communication system of claim 3, further comprising:

a mobile radio modem for demodulating said mobile communication RF signal supplied from said demultiplexer via one of said two different output terminals and providing the demodulated mobile communication RF signal as a mobile communication signal to a mobile communication network, and for modulating a mobile communication signal supplied from said mobile communication network into a mobile communication RF signal and providing said mobile communication RF signal to said multiplexer via one of said two different input terminals; and

wireless LAN repeater means, supplied with said wireless LAN RF signal from said demultiplexer via the other of said two different output terminals, for providing said wireless LAN RF signal via the other of said two different input terminals to said multiplexer corresponding to the destination of said wireless LAN RF signal.

5. The communication system of claim 4, said wireless LAN repeater means has means for incorporating an Internet protocol into said wireless LAN RF signal, making it possible to connect said wireless LAN system to the Internet.

6. The communication system of claim 4, further comprising:

a protocol converter connected to said wireless LAN repeater means, for converting a wireless LAN system protocol to a mobile communication system protocol and vice versa; and

a combiner/separator connected to said protocol converter and said mobile radio modem;

for combining said mobile communication signal from said mobile radio modem and a protocol-converted wireless LAN signal from said protocol converter, sending the combined signal to said mobile communication network; and

for separating a signal from said mobile communication network into a mobile communication signal and a protocol-converted wireless LAN signal, and providing said mobile communication signal and said protocol-converted wireless LAN signal to said mobile radio modem and said protocol converter, respectively.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said first and second communication systems are:

a single-cell communication system for causing said N radio access units to function as a single cell corresponding to one of said plurality of input/output terminals; and

a multi-cell communication system for causing said N radio access units to function as N multiple cells corresponding to the remaining N of said plurality of input/output terminals.

8. The communication system of claim 1 or 7, wherein:

said divider/combiner units comprises;

a down-link divider for dividing an RF signal of a first down-link frequency band, provided to one input terminal of said plurality of input/output terminal, into N signals;

N down-link multiplexers each for multiplexing different one of said N signals from said down-link divider with corresponding one of RF signals provided to remaining N input terminals of said N input/output terminals, adjacent ones of said RF signals having different frequencies in a second down-link frequency band different from said first down-link frequency band;

N electro/optic converters for converting the outputs from said N down-link multiplexers into optical signals of different wavelengths; and

a down-link optical multiplexer for multiplexing said optical signals from said N down-link electro/optic converters and providing the multiplexed output as said down-link optical signal to said down-link optical fiber;

said N radio access units each comprising;

a down-link optical demultiplexer for extracting a down-link optical signal of one of said different wavelengths from said down-link optical signal on said down-link optical fiber;

a down-link opto/electric converter for converting said extracted optical signal into an electric RF signal;

a first down-link filter for extracting said RF signal of said first down-link frequency band from said electric RF signal and providing said extracted RF signal to said antenna means; and

a second down-link filter for extracting said RF signal of said second down-link frequency band from said electric RF signal and providing said extracted RF signal to said antenna means.

9. The communication system of claim 1 or 7, wherein:

said N radio access unit each comprises;

a first up-link third filter for extracting an RF signal of a first up-link frequency band from a received signal of said antenna means;

a second up-link fourth filter for extracting an RF signal of a second up-link frequency band different from said first up-link frequency band from said received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link combiner for combining said RF signals from said first and second up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link combiner into an optical signal of a different wavelength; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said converted optical signal as said up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing said optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into N optical signals of different wavelengths;

N up-link opto/electric converters for converting said N optical signals of different wavelengths into electric RF signals;

N up-link dividers each for dividing one of said electric RF signals from said N up-link opto/electric converters into two RF signals; and

a second up-link combiner for combining one of said two output RF signals from each of said N up-link dividers and providing said combined RF signal to one output terminal of said plurality of input/output terminals, the other output RF signals from said N up-link dividers being provided to the remaining N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

10. The communication system of claim 8, wherein:

said N radio access unit each comprises;

a first up-link third filter for extracting an RF signal of a first up-link frequency band from a received signal of said antenna means;

a second up-link fourth filter for extracting an RF signal of a second up-link frequency band different from said first up-link frequency band from said received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link combiner for combining said RF signals from said first and second up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link combiner into an optical signal of a different wavelength; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said converted optical signal as said up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing said optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into N optical signals of different wavelengths;

N up-link opto/electric converters for converting said N optical signals of different wavelengths into electric RF signals;

N up-link dividers each for dividing one of said electric RF signals from said N up-link opto/electric converters into two RF signals; and

a second up-link combiner for combining one of said two output RF signals from each of said N up-link dividers and providing said combined RF signal to one output terminal of said plurality of input/output terminals, the other output RF signals from said N up-link dividers being provided to the remaining N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

11. The communication system of claim 1 or 7, wherein:

said divider/combiner unit receives a radio RF signal of a first down-link frequency band at one of input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals and N radio RF signals of a second down-link frequency band different from said first down-link frequency band at the other N input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals;

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

N down-link electro/optic converters for converting said N radio RF signals of said second down-link frequency band into optical signals of different wavelengths;

a down-link optical multiplexer for multiplexing said optical signals from said N down-link electro/optic converters; and

an external optical modulator for externally modulating the multiplexed optical signal from said down-link optical multiplexer by said radio RF signal of said first down-link frequency band and providing the modulated output as said down-link optical signal to said down-link optical fiber; and

said N radio access units each comprise;

a down-link optical demultiplexer for extracting a down-link optical signal of a different wavelength from said down-link optical fiber;

a down-link opto/electric converter for converting said down-link optical signal, extracted by said down-link optical demultiplexer, into an electric RF signal;

a first down-link filter for extracting a first down-link RF signal of said first down-link frequency band from said electric RF signal and providing said first down-link extracted RF signal to said antenna means; and

a second down-link filter for extracting a second down-link RF signal of said second down-link frequency band from said electric RF signal and providing said second down-link RF signal to said antenna means.

12. The communication system of claim 1 or 7, wherein:

said N radio access unit each comprises;

a first up-link filter for extracting a first up-link RF signal of a first up-link frequency band from a received signal of said antenna means;

a second up-link filter for extracting a second up-link RF signal of a second up-link frequency band different from said first up-link frequency band from said received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link combiner for combining said first and second up-link RF signals from said first and second up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link combiner into an optical signal of a different wavelength; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said converted optical signal as said up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical divider for dividing said optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into two optical signals;

a first up-link opto/electric converter for converting one of said two optical signals from said up-link optical divider into a first up-link electric signal;

a third up-link filter for extracting said first up-link RF signal of said first up-link frequency band from said first up-link electric signal converted by said first up-link opto/electric converter and providing said extracted first up-link RF signal to one of outputs of said input/output terminals;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing the other optical signal divided by said optical divider into N optical signals of different wavelengths;

N second up-link opto/electric converters for converting said N optical signals of different wavelengths into N second up-link electric RF signals; and

N fourth up-link filters for extracting N second up-link RF signals of different frequencies in said second up-link frequency band from said second up-link electric signals converted by said N second up-link opto/electric converters and providing said N extracted second up-link RF signals to the other remaining N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

13. The communication system of claim 8, wherein:

said N radio access unit each comprises;

a first up-link filter for extracting a first up-link RF signal of a first up-link frequency band from a received signal of said antenna means;

a second up-link filter for extracting a second up-link RF signal of a second up-link frequency band different from said first up-link frequency band from said received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link combiner for combining said first and second up-link RF signals from said first and second up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link combiner into an optical signal of a different wavelength; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said converted optical signal as said up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical divider for dividing said optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into two optical signals;

a first up-link opto/electric converter for converting one of said two optical signals from said up-link optical divider into a first up-link electric signal;

a third up-link filter for extracting said first up-link RF signal of said first up-link frequency band from said first up-link electric signal converted by said first up-link opto/electric converter and providing said extracted first up-link RF signal to one of outputs of said input/output terminals;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing the other optical signal divided by said optical divider into N optical signals of different wavelengths;

N second up-link opto/electric converters for converting said N optical signals of different wavelengths into N second up-link electric RF signals; and

N fourth up-link filters for extracting N second up-link RF signals of different frequencies in said second up-link frequency band from said second up-link electric signals converted by said N second up-link opto/electric converters and providing said N extracted second up-link RF signals to the other remaining N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein:

said N radio access unit each comprises;

a first up-link filter for extracting a first up-link RF signal of a first up-link frequency band from a received signal of said antenna means;

a second up-link filter for extracting a second up-link RF signal of a second up-link frequency band different from said first up-link frequency band from said received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link combiner for combining said first and second up-link RF signals from said first and second up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link combiner into an optical signal of a different wavelength; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said converted optical signal as said up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical divider for dividing said optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into two optical signals;

a first up-link opto/electric converter for converting one of said two optical signals from said up-link optical divider into a first up-link electric signal;

a third up-link filter for extracting said first up-link RF signal of said first up-link frequency band from said first up-link electric signal converted by said first up-link opto/electric converter and providing said extracted first up-link RF signal to one of outputs of said input/output terminals;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing the other optical signal divided by said optical divider into N optical signals of different wavelengths;

N second up-link opto/electric converters for converting said N optical signals of different wavelengths into N second up-link electric RF signals; and

N fourth up-link filters for extracting N second up-link RF signals of different frequencies in said second up-link frequency band from said second up-link electric signals converted by said N second up-link opto/electric converters and providing said N extracted second up-link RF signals to the other remaining N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

15. The communication system of claim 9, wherein:

said antenna means of each of said radio access units has a first antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said first up- and down-link frequency bands, and a second antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said second up- and down-link frequency bands; and

each of said radio access units has a first duplexer for providing said RF signal of said first up-link frequency band received by said first antenna to said first up-link filter and for providing the output RF signal from said first down-link filter to said first antenna, and a second duplexer for providing said RF signal of said second up-link frequency band received by said second antenna to said second up-link fourth filter and for providing the output RF signal from said second down-link filter to said second antenna.

16. The communication system of claim 12, wherein:

said antenna means of each of said radio access units has a first antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said first up- and down-link frequency bands, and a second antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said second up- and down-link frequency bands; and

each of said radio access units has a first duplexer for providing said RF signal of said first up-link frequency band received by said first antenna to said first up-link filter and for providing the output RF signal from said first down-link filter to said first antenna, and a second duplexer for providing said RF signal of said second up-link frequency band received by said second antenna to said second up-link fourth filter and for providing the output RF signal from said second down-link filter to said second antenna.

17. The communication system of claim 13, wherein:

said antenna means of each of said radio access units has a first antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said first up- and down-link frequency bands, and a second antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said second up- and down-link frequency bands; and

each of said radio access units has a first duplexer for providing said RF signal of said first up-link frequency band received by said first antenna to said first up-link filter and for providing the output RF signal from said first down-link filter to said first antenna, and a second duplexer for providing said RF signal of said second up-link frequency band received by said second antenna to said second up-link fourth filter and for providing the output RF signal from said second down-link filter to said second antenna.

18. The communication system of claim 14, wherein:

said antenna means of each of said radio access units has a first antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said first up- and down-link frequency bands, and a second antenna for transmitting and receiving RF signals of said second up- and down-link frequency bands; and

each of said radio access units has a first duplexer for providing said RF signal of said first up-link frequency band received by said first antenna to said first up-link filter and for providing the output RF signal from said first down-link filter to said first antenna, and a second duplexer for providing said RF signal of said second up-link frequency band received by said second antenna to said second up-link fourth filter and for providing the output RF signal from said second down-link filter to said second antenna.

19. The communication system of claim 1, wherein:

said first communication system is a system on which a single-cell formed by said N radio access units operates K-fold in correspondence to K of said input/output terminals; and

said second communication system is a system on which multiple cells formed by said N radio access units operate L-fold in correspondence to the remaining L sets of input/output terminals, each of said L sets being composed of N input/output terminals.

20. The communication system of claim 19, wherein:

first down-link RF signals of K different frequency bands F<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>A−

K</sub> are input to K input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals, and second down-link RF signals of different frequency bands F<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>B−

L</sub> are input to L sets of remaining input terminals, said each of L set being composed of N input terminals;

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

K down-link dividers for dividing said down-link RF frequency signals of said K down-link frequency bands F<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>A−

K</sub> input to said K input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals into N down-link RF signals;

N down-linkmultiplexers, an i-th one of which, letting i=1, . . . , N, multiplexes i-th outputs from respective said K down-link dividers and said down-link RF signals from respective i-th input terminals of said L sets of input terminals;

N down-link electro/optic converters each for converting the multiplexed output from one of said N down-link multiplexers into optical signals of N different wavelengths λ

₁, . . . , λ

_N; and

a down-link optical multiplexer for multiplexing the output optical signals from said N down-link electro/optic converters and providing the multiplexed optical signal as a down-link optical signal to said down-link optical fiber; and

an i-th one of said N radio access units comprises;

a down-link optical demultiplexer for extracting said down-link optical signal of the wavelength λ

_i from said down-link optical signal on said down-link optical fiber;

a down-link opto/electric converter for converting said extracted down-link optical signal into an electric signal; and

a down-link demultiplexer for extracting K RF signals of said frequency bands F<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>A−

K</sub> and L RF signals of said frequency bands F<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>B−

L</sub> from the electric signal converted by said down-link opto/electro converter.

21. The communication system of claim 20, wherein said i-th radio access unit further comprises:

K+L up-link filters for extracting K up-link RF signals of frequency bands F′

<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>A−

K</sub> and L up-link RF signals of frequency bands F′

<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>B−

L</sub> from a received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link multiplexer for multiplexing said RF signals extracted by said K+L up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the multiplexed output from said up-link multiplexer into an optical signal of a wavelength λ

_i; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for the converted optical signal from said up-link electro/optic converter providing as an up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing said up-link optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into optical signals of said N wavelengths;

N up-link opto/electric converters for converting said up-link optical signals of said N wavelengths into electric signals;

N up-link demultiplexers each supplied with the output electric signal from one of said N up-link opto/electric converters, an i-th one of said N up-link demultiplexers separating the electric signal applied thereto into said K RF signals of said frequency bands F′

<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>A−

K</sub> and said L RF signals of said frequency bands F′

<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>B−

L</sub>; and

K up-link combiners, a j-th one of which receives from said N up-link demultiplexers the RF signals of the frequency band F′

<sub>A−

j</sub>, where j=1, . . . , K, and combines said RF signals and outputs the combined output to a j-th one of K output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals;

wherein the L RF signals of said frequency bands F′

<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>B−

L</sub> from said i-th up-link demultiplexer are output to i-th output terminals of L sets of the remaining N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.

23. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said first and second communication systems are a pair of K communication systems that are implemented by causing a single cell, formed by said N radio access units, to operate K-fold, where K is an integer equal to or greater than 2;

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

K down-link dividers each for dividing one of K down-link RF signals of frequency bands F<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>A−

K</sub>, provided to K input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals, into N down-link RF signals;

N down-link multiplexers each for multiplexing said K down-link RF signals from said K down-link dividers;

N down-link electro/optic converters for converting the outputs from said N down-link multiplexers into optical signals of different wavelengths λ

₁, . . . , λ

_N, respectively; and

a down-link optical multiplexer for multiplexing said optical signals from said N down-link electro/optic converters and providing the multiplexed optical signal as a down-link optical signal to said down-link optical fiber; and

wherein, letting i=1, . . . , N, an i-th one of said N radio access units comprises;

a down-link optical demultiplexer for extracting the down-link optical signal of the wavelength λ

_I from said down-link optical signal on said down-link optical fiber;

a down-link opto/electric converter for converting said down-link optical signal extracted by said down-link optical demultiplexer into an electric signal; and

a down-link demultiplexer for extracting said K down-link RF signals of said frequency bands F<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>A−

K</sub> from said electric signals extracted by said down-link opto/electric converter and providing said K down-link RF signals to said antenna means.

24. The communication system of claim 23, wherein said i-th radio access unit further comprises:

K up-link filters for extracting up-link RF signals of frequency bands F′

<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>A−

K</sub> from a received signal of said antenna means;

an up-link multiplexer for multiplexing said up-link RF signals from said K up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link multiplexer into an optical signal of the wavelength λ

_i; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said optical signal from said up-link electro/optic converter as an up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing said up-link optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into N up-link electric signals of said wavelengths λ

₁, . . . , λ

_N;

N up-link opto/electric converters for said N up-link optical signals from said up-link optical demultiplexer into electric signals;

N up-link demultiplexers each for demultiplexing said electric signal from corresponding one of said N up-link opto/electric converters into K RF signals of said frequency bands F′

<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>A−

K</sub>; and

K combiners for combining said RF signals of respective frequencies, each supplied from one of said N up-link combiners, into up-link RF signals of said frequency bands F′

<sub>A−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>A−

K</sub> and providing said combined RF signals to K output terminals of said input/output terminals, respectively.

25. The communication system of claim 1, wherein said first and second communication systems are a pair of L communication systems that are implemented by causing a single cell, formed by said N radio access units, to operate L-fold, where L is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and down-link RF signals of frequency bands F_B−

1, . . . , F<sub>B−

L</sub> are provided to L sets of N input terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals; and

wherein, letting i=1, . . . , N, said divider/combiner unit comprises;

N down-link multiplexers, an i-th one of which combines said down-link RF signals from i-th input terminals of said L sets of input terminals;

N down-link electro/optic converters for converting the outputs from said N down-link multiplexers into optical signals of different wavelengthsλ

₁, . . . , λ

_N; and

a down-link optical multiplexer for multiplexing said optical signals from said N down-link electro/optic converters and providing the multiplexed output as a down-link optical signal to said down-link optical fiber; and

an i-th one of said N radio access units comprises;

a down-link optical demultiplexer for extracting the optical signal of the wavelength λ

_i from said down-link optical signal on said down-link optical fiber;

an opto/electric converter for converting said down-link optical signal from said down-link optical demultiplexer into an electric signal; and

a down-link demultiplexer for extracting said down-link RF signals of said frequency bands F<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F<sub>B−

L</sub> from said electric signal converted by said down-link opto/electric converter and providing said extracted down-link RF signals to said antenna means.

26. The communication system of claim 25, wherein:

said i-th radio access unit comprises;

L up-link filters for extracting up-link RF signals of frequency bands F′

<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>B−

L</sub> from a signal received by said antenna means;

an up-link multiplexer for multiplexing the outputs from said L up-link filters;

an up-link electro/optic converter for converting the output from said up-link multiplexer into an optical signal of said wavelength λ

_i; and

an up-link optical multiplexer for providing said optical signal from said up-link electro/optic converter as an up-link optical signal to said up-link optical fiber; and

said divider/combiner unit comprises;

an up-link optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing said up-link optical signal from said up-link optical fiber into N up-link optical signals of said wavelengths λ

₁, . . . , λ

_N;

N opto/electric converters for converting said N up-link optical signals from said up-link optical demultiplexer into N electric signals; and

N up-link demultiplexers each for demultiplexing said electric signal from one of said N up-link opto/electric converters into up-link RF signals of different frequencies; and

wherein an i-th one of said N up-link demultiplexers demultiplexes said electric signal into up-link RF signals of said frequency bands F′

<sub>B−

1</sub>, . . . , F′

<sub>B−

L</sub> and outputs said up-link RF signals to i-th ones of output terminals of L sets of N output terminals of said plurality of input/output terminals.