An apparatus includes a first optical switching complex, a second optical switching complex in optical communication with the first optical switching complex, and an optical add/drop module in optical communication with the first optical switching complex and the second optical switching complex. At least one of the optical switching complexes includes a wavelength selective switch that is configured to be arranged in a cascaded configuration that, when so configured, results in an increase in a number of available transmit and receive ports available per degree of the apparatus.