A new technique and apparatus design for compensation of first-, second-, and higher-order polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) is proposed. Rigorous simulations show that the effects of the high-PMD long-haul fiber are dynamically mitigated or minimized and that the data are recovered from the distorted signals. The technique uses a real-time signal-monitoring and feedback method in the design of the PMD compensator that consists of a combination of polarization-based optical components. The resulting apparatus will enhance the transmission quality, extend the reach of current high-bit-rate (OC-192) optical signal transport, and enable the next-generation ultrahigh-bit-rate optical signals (OC-768 and beyond). The module and method provide a dynamically reconfigurable functional control to mitigate the influence of high-PMD fiber on high-bit-rate optical data. It can be packaged into a box or board/card or with other functional blocks (MUX/DEMUX, optical amplifiers, and the like) at the optical network nodes.