Point-to-multipoint broadband services drop with multiple time slot return channel for customer premises equipment

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Remote sites in a communication system are coupled over an unshielded twisted pair-configured multi-drop communication link to, an optical network unit which is ported to the fiber optic link. In order to convey broadband information signals that have been downlinked from a master site (10) to the optical network to the remote sites and to provide for return messages from the remote sites a point-to-multipoint, communication scheme is provided. Pursuant to this scheme an upstream transceiver in the optical interface unit transmits STS-1 frames, which contain broadband information signals intended for one or more remote sites, and a return time slot-representative control code associated …