Patent ID: 7296071

Claim:
A method of transmitting a service to several subscribers in a packet data network capable of individual and group transmissions, wherein the service has a popularity which comprises a current value and a history, the method comprising: collecting requests for the service from the several subscribers via the packet data network, evaluating popularity of the requested service, forming a group of the subscribers that have requested the service, transmitting the requested service over a group transmission if at least one of the current value and the history of the popularity of the requested service at least equals a predetermined threshold level, transmitting the requested service over one or more individual transmissions if neither the current value nor the history of the popularity of the requested service equals the predetermined threshold level; and adjusting resources allocated to several different access networks based on service popularity of several services transmitted via the access networks, wherein said forming the group of the subscribers that have requested the service comprises evaluating a subscriber-specific indication of a maximum delay and/or minimum price deduction over individual transmission caused by the group transmission, and wherein said adjusting resources comprises at least one access network surrendering one or more resources and another access network utilizing one or more of the one or more surrendered resources.