A transmitter includes a plurality of encoders configured to receive source bit streams from m information sources, each of the plurality encoders including identical (n,k) low-density parity check (LDPC) codes of code rate r=k/n, where k is a number of information bits and n is codeword length. An interleaver is configured to collect m row-wise codewords from the plurality of encoders, and a mapper is configured to receive m bits at a time column-wise from the interleaver and to determine an M-ary signal constellation point. A modulator is configured to modulate a light source in accordance with the output of the mapper at a transmission rate Rs/r (Rs—the symbol rate, r—-the code rate). A receiver and transmission and receiving methods are also disclosed.