Rack mountable equipment enclosures have been developed that contain a multiplicity of fiber optical component such as optical taps, arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs), optical splitters, and optical switches at a greater component density than has been previously achieved. For example, 192 fiber optical taps can be contained in a standard 19 inch wide equipment enclosure that is only 1 Rack Unit (1.75 inches) high. This high component density is achieved by locating the optical components within a multiplicity of modular containers inside of the equipment enclosure. The components are connected to fiber optic pig-tails that extend beyond the modular containers. These pig-tails are terminated with multi-fiber connectors that are mounted on the front panel of the equipment enclosure. This strategy allows for efficient packing of the modular containers containing optical components in the full volume of the rack space that is available to the equipment enclosure.