Patent ID: 6958974

Claim:
A method for providing a stable quality grade for data services within a packet-switching network which has at least one access node for connecting at least one of at least one subscriber terminal and at least one private branch exchange having at least one connected subscriber terminal, and has at least one of a plurality of network nodes for providing data services, the method comprising the steps of: assigning data packets, which are respectively associated with the data service, at a start of transmission between the at least one network node providing the data service and one of a subscriber terminal and an access node connected to the subscriber terminal, to a quality class whereupon the data packets are handled within intermediate nodes which forward the data packets; establishing, via at least one of the at least one network node and at least one intermediate node, and during transmission of the data packets, a quality of the transmission based on acknowledgements indicating a quality grade, and comparing the quality of the transmission with a quality grade demanded by the data service; and assigning the data packets associated with the data service, depending on a result of the comparison, to another quality class of which the quality grade demanded by the data service is expected.