Patent ID: 8693484

Claim:
A method for communication, the method comprising: in a broadband gateway that enables communication with a plurality of devices, wherein the broadband gateway is operable to handle at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider: receiving at least one input from a first user, the first user being associated with a first one of the plurality of devices; identifying, based at least in part on the at least one input, a second user, the second user being associated with a second one of the plurality of devices; generating, by the broadband gateway, in response to identifying the second user, a directory supporting peer-to-peer communications by the first user with at least the second user, the directory comprising at least one of name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, or content sharing information for the first user and at least one of name information, location information, contact information, communication device information, or content sharing information for the second user; and communicating, by the broadband gateway, the directory to at least one network access service provider, wherein the at least one network access service provider, based at least in part on the directory, allocates at least one network resource, the at least one network resource being used to support peer-to-peer communications between the first user and the second user.