Patent ID: 6504844
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
An internet communication system including a plurality of subscribers connected to a plurality of service providers via a communication network,wherein each subscriber is able to communicate with a predetermined one of the service providers over an individual logical link or data flow using a communication protocol, wherein data flows from individual subscribers are terminated in the communication network close to the subscribers and multiplexed together for transmission to the predetermined service provider, wherein the communication protocol is according to an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and the ATM flows are processed in a data gateway, an ATM virtual path/virtual connection (VP/VC) for data packets of each individual connection being practically terminated, and wherein a logically unique connection path is maintained across a full span of a connection between a subscriber and a service provider, and wherein an ATM VP/VC identifier is used as a basis for multiplexing data packets from one or more subscribers addressed to a particular service provider into shared VP/VC data flows between the data gateway and the service provider.