One embodiment provides an EPON for transporting RF signals. The system includes a reference clock, an ONU, and an OLT. The ONU includes a mechanism for receiving a frequency and phase-reference signal from the OLT, a mechanism for receiving an RF signal, an ADC for converting the RF signal into a digital signal using a sampling signal associated with the frequency and phase-reference signal, a mechanism for assembling at least a portion of the digital signal into a packet, a mechanism configured to timestamp the packet, and an optical transceiver. The OLT includes a mechanism for receiving the packet, a buffer, a delay mechanism configured to delay reading the received packet from the buffer for a predetermined amount of time, and a DAC for converting the digital signal included in the packet back to RF domain using a clock signal associated with the frequency and phase-reference signal.