Patent ID: 7715414

Claim:
A method of operating a communication service provider, wherein a customer requests a communication service from the communication service provider, the method of operating the communication service provider comprising: in a control system, transferring an access request to an access provider that is separate from the communication service provider and that provides an access interface at a customer premise of the customer and provides a packet service link and a packet control link from the access interface to the communication service provider; in the control system, receiving an authentication code and a corresponding authorized action from the access provider in response to the access request; distributing the authentication code to service provider personnel authorized to initiate the corresponding authorized action; receiving an input from the service provider personnel authorized to initiate the corresponding authorized action; in response to the input from the service provider personnel authorized to initiate the corresponding authorized action, transferring an action request from the control system over the packet control link to the access interface at the customer premise wherein the action request indicates the authentication code and the corresponding authorized action for the packet service link, wherein the access interface authenticates the corresponding authorized action for the packet service link based on the authentication code and the corresponding authorized action, and performs the corresponding authorized action upon successful authentication; in the control system, receiving an action result from the access interface indicating a result of the action request; and in a service system, providing the communication service over the packet service link.