Patent ID: 8473426

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising: determining averages for data traffic associated with customer premises equipment according to predefined measurement intervals, wherein the data traffic includes upstream and downstream data traffic between the customer premises equipment and network elements of a single service provider; determining ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic based on the averages for the data traffic; determining a charge for service for a subscriber according to one of a plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios based on the ratios of average upstream data traffic to average downstream data traffic, wherein the plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios comprises a first range, a second range and a third range, wherein the first range has a higher ratio of the average upstream data traffic to the average downstream data traffic as compared to the second range, wherein the second range has a higher ratio of the average upstream data traffic to the average downstream data traffic as compared to the third range, wherein each of the plurality of ranges of asymmetric upstream and downstream data traffic ratios has a different price, wherein the first range has a lower price than the second range, and wherein the second range has a lower price than the third range, wherein the charge is calculated by applying the corresponding price of the one of the plurality of ranges to an amount of the upstream data traffic; and applying a minimum charge for service when the charge for service does not meet a threshold, wherein the minimum charge for service is based on a maximum billing price for data services of the single service provider and a percentage of peak service bandwidth provided to the customer premises equipment.