Patent ID: 6985963
Filing Date: 2006-01-10
Classification: H04L,Y02D

Abstract:
1. In a network having a headend and a tailend, a method of sharing bandwidth on the network among one or more internet service providers (ISPs) coupled to the tailend, the network receiving data packets from end-users coupled to the headend and associated with particular ones of the one or more ISPs, the method comprising the steps of: creating, at the tailend, a forwarding equivalency class (FEC) for each of the one or more ISPs coupled to the tailend; passing a label for each FEC towards the headend; storing a label for each FEC in an FEC table at the headend; receiving, at the headend, a data packet from an end-user; determining the ISP associated with the end-user; and routing the data packet through the tailend to only the ISP associated with the end-user using the label stored in the FEC table for the FEC of the ISP.