A hybrid expansion unit includes at least one digital communication interface adapted to communicate first and second sets of N-bit words of digitized spectrum with an upstream device. The hybrid expansion unit further includes at least one analog communication interface adapted to communicate first and second sets of bands of analog spectrum with a downstream device. The hybrid expansion unit is adapted to convert between the first set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the first set of bands of analog spectrum. The hybrid expansion unit is further adapted to convert between the second set of N-bit words of digitized spectrum and the second set of bands of analog spectrum. The first set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a first frequency range and the second set of bands of analog spectrum occupy a second frequency range. The first frequency range and the second frequency range do not overlap.