A system includes an optical transmitter portion, an optical fiber, an optical receiver portion, a laser portion and a combiner portion. Optical signals may be launched by the optical transmitter portion at very low power levels to avoid Raman-induced interactions between the co-propagating signals along the optical fiber. The laser portion and the combiner portion may apply a back-pumped laser signal to the optical fiber. The back-pumped laser signal provides a Raman gain that amplifies the co-propagating signals to a minimum power level such that the optical receiver portion can detect the co-propagating signals within a predetermined acceptable carrier-to-noise ratio.