Patent ID: 7697425

Claim:
A method for providing multicast data to a group of at least two users belonging to or connectable to a discontinuous coverage network via respective terminals of the users, wherein said method comprising: transmitting downstream the multicast data directed to the group of the at least two users; during the transmitting downstream the multicast data, caching selectively the multicast data or part of the multicast data at first at least one caching point on a transmission path to the group of the at least two users, the first at least one caching point being disposed upstream the terminals of the users, further transmitting downstream at least part of the multicast data or part of the multicast data cached at the first at least one caching point to at least one user of the group or, for caching, to second at least one caching point on the transmission path, the second at least one caching point being disposed upstream the terminals of the users, wherein, for the selectively caching at the first at least one caching point, whether to cache the multicast data or part of the multicast data is determined according to at least one criterion, and wherein the multicast data or part of the multicast data is cached only once at the first at least one caching point, or the at least part of the multicast data or part of the multicast data that is transmitted to the second at least one caching point is cached only once at the second at least one caching point.