US Patent 7630638 Shared multi-lambda source for WDM PON

Shared optical carrier sources for the OLT's are provided. An apparatus comprises a plurality of optical carrier generators, each optical carrier generator outputting an optical carrier at a different wavelength, an optical multiplexer operable to combine the plurality of optical carriers to form a wave division multiplexed optical carrier, and an optical power splitter having a plurality of outputs, each output connectable to an optical line termination unit, the optical power splitter operable to split the wave division multiplexed optical carrier to form a plurality of wave division multiplexed optical carriers.