Abstract: The systems and methods provide an out-of-band time and control signal distribution network that may be employed in conjunction with a large scale area network. The network is capable of installation on the seafloor and comprises a plurality of network nodes being interconnected by fiber optic cable, and each having optical transceivers for coupling to an optical fiber cable having data channels carrying data packets among the plurality of network nodes and having one or more control and time channels for carrying control and time signals, and an out-of-band communications module for coupling to the optical fiber cable to utilize the control and time data signals transmitted separately from the data packets, to provide the distribution of in-band data packets among network nodes and the distribution of out-of-band timing and control signals to said plural network nodes.