A communication system for providing high speed data services to a subscriber using optical fibers comprises a first optical interface unit (OIU) and a second OIU. The first OIU transmits optical representations of signals from an electrical communication path to the second OIU, which forwards electrical representations of those signals to a subscriber. The second OIU transmits optical representations of electrical signals from the subscriber to the first OIU, which forwards those signals to the electrical communication path. The second OIU further forwards electrical representations of another received optical signal to the subscriber. In one embodiment, the first OIU is located at a network node element such as a HDT, for example. In another embodiment, the second OIU is located at an optical node device such as an ONU, for example.