An optical fiber amplifier pumping technique based on multiple stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) for optical communication systems includes a plurality of pump signals with increasing wavelength which are injected into a fiber. The wavelengths of such pump signals are such that, in cascade, each pump signal of the plurality is amplified by the pump signal of wavelength immediately shorter, while it amplifies that with the wavelength immediately higher with the pump signal of highest wavelength which, in turn, pumps a remote rare earth doped optical fiber amplifier.