Patent ID: 7864748

Claim:
A method for use in a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of: transporting Time Division Multiplex (TDM) time slots of a circuit switched connection from a first circuit switched node to a second circuit switched node through a packet switched network including a number of packet switched nodes, the circuit and packet switched nodes based on a Multiprotocol Label Switch (MPLS), further comprising the steps of: in the first circuit switched node, encapsulating the time slots in a data frame adjusted to be transferred in the packet switched network; stacking the data frame with (i) at least one inner MPLS label uniquely addressing a PCM system within the second circuit switched node and (ii) at least one outer MPLS label identifying a fixed path of consecutive packet switched nodes within the packet switched network, said outer label includes addresses of all the packet switched nodes included in the fixed path in addition to an address of the second circuit switched node; and in the second circuit switched node, removing the outer MPLS label and transferring the time slots to the PCM system addressed by the inner label.