INCREASING RADIXES OF DIGITAL DATA SWITCHES, COMMUNICATIONS SWITCHES, AND RELATED COMPONENTS AND METHODS

1 . A gearbox for a communications system comprising:

a plurality of server-side inputs each configured to receive a respective uplink component communications signal from a respective location;

at least one multiplexer configured to combine at least two of the uplink component communications signals into at least one respective uplink combined communications signal such that each uplink component communications signal is combined into only one of the at least one respective uplink combined communications signal; and

at least one switch-side output configured to transmit a respective uplink combined communications signal to a communications switch.

2 . The gearbox of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one switch-side input corresponding to the at least one switch-side output, each switch-side input configured to receive at least one downlink combined communications signal each comprising a plurality of downlink component digital communications from the communications switch; and

a plurality of server-side outputs corresponding to the plurality of server-side inputs, each server-side output configured to transmit a respective downlink component communications signal to the respective location associated with the respective server-side output.

3 . The gearbox of claim 1 , wherein each switch-side output corresponds to a respective unique pair of switch-side inputs;

each respective pair of switch-side inputs is configured to receive a respective pair of uplink component communications signals consisting of two (2) ten gigabit (10 G) signals; and

each switch-side output is configured to transmit a respective uplink combined communications signal consisting of a twenty gigabit (20 G) signal.

4 . The gearbox of claim 3 , further comprising at least four (4) switch-side outputs and at least eight (8) switch-side inputs.

5 . The gearbox of claim 4 , further comprising at least one quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) port, each corresponding to a group of four (4) switch-side outputs.

6 . A communications switch comprising:

at least one input configured to receive a respective uplink combined communications signal comprising a plurality of uplink component communications signals from a gearbox, each uplink component communications signal corresponding to a location; and

at least one demultiplexer configured to divide each uplink combined communications signal into the respective plurality of uplink component communications signals.

7 . The communications switch of claim 6 , further comprising:

at least one output corresponding to the at least one input configured to transmit a respective downlink combined communications signal comprising a plurality of downlink component communications signals to the gearbox such that each downlink component communications signal is combined into only one of the at least one downlink combined communications signal; and

wherein the multiplexer is further configured to combine each plurality of downlink component communications signals into the respective downlink combined communications signal.

8 . The communications switch of claim 6 , wherein each uplink combined communications signal corresponds to a respective unique pair of uplink component communications signals;

each unique pair of uplink component communications signals consists of two (2) ten gigabit (10 G) signals; and

each uplink combined communications signal consists of a twenty gigabit (20 G) signal.

9 . The communications switch of claim 8 , further comprising at least four (4) inputs.

10 . The communications switch of claim 9 , further comprising at least one quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) port, each corresponding to a group of four (4) inputs.

11 . The communications switch of claim 6 , further having a 1U form factor and at least seventy-three (73) inputs, the communications switch being further configured to receive at least seventy-three (73) 20 G uplink combined communications signals, thereby receiving at least one hundred forty-six (146) 10 G uplink component communications signals from at least one hundred forty-six (146) respective locations.

12 . The communications switch of claim 6 , further having a 3U form factor and at least two hundred seventeen (217) inputs, the switch being further configured to provide at least two hundred seventeen (217) 20 G uplink combined communications signals, thereby providing at least four hundred thirty-four (434) 10 G uplink component communications signals to at least four hundred thirty-four (434) respective locations.

13 . A method of transferring communications signals, comprising:

receiving, at a gearbox, a plurality of uplink component communications signals;

combining, at the gearbox, at least two of the uplink component communications signals into at least one respective uplink combined communications signal such that each uplink component communications signal is combined into only one of the at least one respective uplink combined communications signal; and

transmitting each of the at least one uplink combined communications signal to a communications switch.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving, at the communications switch, the at least one uplink combined communications signal; and

dividing each of the at least one uplink combined communications signal into the respective plurality of uplink component communications signals.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

combining, at the communications switch, at least two downlink component communications signals into at least one respective downlink combined communications signal; and

transmitting each of the at least one downlink combined communications signal to the gearbox.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving, at the gearbox, the at least one downlink combined communications signal from the gearbox;

dividing each of the at least one downlink combined communications signal into the respective plurality of downlink component communications signals; and

transmitting each of the plurality of downlink component communications signals to a location.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein each of the at least one uplink combined communications signal is a twenty gigabit (20 G) signal corresponding to two (2) uplink component communications signals consisting of two (2) 10 G signals.

18 . A communications distribution system comprising:

at least one communications switch; and

at least one gearbox connected between the at least one communications switch and a plurality of locations;

wherein the at least one gearbox comprises:

a plurality of server-side inputs, each configured to receive a respective uplink component communications signal from a respective location;

at least one gearbox multiplexer configured to combine at least two of the uplink component communications signals into at least one respective uplink combined communications signal such that each uplink component communications signal is combined into only one of the at least one respective uplink combined communications signal; and

at least one switch-side output configured to transmit a respective uplink combined communications signal to the at least one communications switch; and

wherein the at least one communications switch comprises:

at least one input configured to receive a respective uplink combined communications signal comprising a plurality of uplink component communications signals from the at least one gearbox; and

at least one switch demultiplexer configured to divide each of the at least one uplink combined communications signal into the respective plurality of uplink component communications signals.

19 . The communications distribution system of claim 18 , wherein:

the at least one communications switch further comprises:

at least one switch multiplexer configured to combine at least two of a plurality of downlink component communications signals corresponding to the plurality of uplink component communications signals into at least one respective downlink combined communications signal such that each downlink component communications signal is combined into only one of the at least one respective downlink combined communications signal;

at least one output corresponding to the at least one input, each configured to transmit a respective downlink combined communications signal to the at least one communications switch; and

the at least one gearbox father comprises:

at least one switch-side input configured to receive a respective downlink combined communications signal comprising a plurality of downlink component communications signals from the at least one gearbox; and

at least one switch demultiplexer configured to divide each of the at least one downlink combined communications signal into the respective plurality of downlink component communications signals.

20 . The communications distribution system of claim 19 , wherein:

each of the at least one respective downlink combined communications signal is a twenty gigabit (20 G) signal;

each of the at least one respective uplink combined communications signal is a twenty gigabit (20 G) signal;

each of the at least one plurality of downlink component communications signals corresponding to each of the at least one respective downlink combined communications signal consists of two (2) 10 G signals; and

each of the at least one plurality of uplink component communications signals corresponding to each of the at least one respective uplink combined communications signal consists of two (2) 10 G signals.