Patent ID: 7843964

Claim:
A method for dynamically adjusting broadband access bandwidth in a communication network, comprising: monitoring, by the communication network, a total access bandwidth usage of an access network link in the communication network for a subscriber, wherein the total access bandwidth usage of the access network link for the subscriber is monitored in a network to subscriber direction and a subscriber to network direction independently; and adjusting dynamically, via the communication network, an available access bandwidth to the subscriber to match a bandwidth need of the subscriber, wherein the adjusting comprises: increasing the available access bandwidth to the subscriber to match the bandwidth need of the subscriber if the total access bandwidth usage exceeds a subscribed level of bandwidth over a predefined period of time; and decreasing the available access bandwidth associated with the subscriber back to the subscribed level to match the bandwidth need of the subscriber if the total access bandwidth usage remains at or below the subscribed level of bandwidth over another predefined period of time, wherein the available access bandwidth is adjusted dynamically in the network to subscriber direction and the subscriber to network direction independently.