A reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) system includes a transponder aggregator section with one or more transponder aggregators; N input ports and N output ports, each coupled to the transponder aggregators and to a cross-connect module having a variable optical splitter or variable optical coupler (VOS/VOC); and a controller to set the VOS/VOC into one of a Multicast & Select configuration and a Route & Combine configuration.