Patent ID: 7765294

Claim:
A system for managing subscriber usage of a packet network, said system comprising: memory that stores computer executable instructions; a processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions to determine data packets containing real time content and data packets containing non-real time content, and to monitor the network performance of the data packets containing real time content and of the data packets containing non-real time content; and a data storage unit, the data storage unit containing at least one database configured to store network performance information of data packets including information that distinguishes between the network performance of data packets containing real-time content and the network performance of data packets containing non-real-time content communicated over the packet network; wherein the processor further configured to execute the computer executable instructions to bill a client at a higher rate for the communications of the data packets containing real time content, the higher rate being higher than a billing rate for the communications of the data packets containing non-real time content.