This paper was published in OPTICS EXPRESS and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1364/OE.19.00B197. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law ; Radio-over-fiber (RoF) schemes offer the possibility of permitting direct access to native format services for the domestic user. A low power requirement and cost effectiveness are crucial to both the service provider and the end user. Here, we present an ultra-low cost and power RoF scheme using direct modulation of commercially-available 1344 nm and 1547 nm VCSELs by band-group 1 UWB wireless signals (ECMA-368) at near broadcast power levels. As a result, greatly simplified electrical-optical-electrical conversion is accomplished. A successful demonstration over a transmission distance of 20.1 km is described using a SSMF, CWDM optical network. EVMs of better than-18.3 dB were achieved. © 2011 Optical Society of America. ; FP7 ICT-4-249142 FIVER project ; Spanish FPU MEC grant AP2007-01413 ; EUROFOS NoE ; Morant Perez, M.; Llorente Sáez, R.; Quinlan, T.; Dudley, S.; Walker, S. (2011). 480Mbit/s UWB Bi-Directional Radio over Fiber CWDM PON using Ultra-Low Cost and Power VCSELs. Optics Express. 19(26):197-202. doi:10.1364/OE.19.00B197. ; Senia ; 197 ; 202 ; 19 ; 26