The realization, the characteristics and the bit-error-rate (BER) performance of a single frequency, linear polarization Er3+-doped distributed Bragg reflector fiber laser are reported. The device, pumped at 980 nm, gives a maximum output power of 13 mW with an overall slope efficiency eta = 24%, a continuous-wave intensity ripple around 1% and a linewidth of 2.2 kHz, The BER test, performed without any polarization control system in a complete 475-km-long 2.5-Gb/s wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission line, shows only a 0.5-dB penalty is introduced.