Patent ID: 7813345

Claim:
A telecommunication system comprising: a virtual private local area network service (VPLS) comprising a plurality of provider edge (PE) devices configured to replicate frames associated with a first closed user group of a plurality of closed user groups; a first plurality of virtual circuit label switched paths (VC-LSPs) dedicated to communicate broadcast and unknown frames within the first closed user group; and a first multi-tenant unit (MTU) of a plurality of multi-tenant units (MTUs), wherein each MTU of the plurality of MTUs is directly connected to a PE device of the plurality of PE devices, wherein each MTU of the plurality of MTUs is configured to form a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) packet including a frame, a broadcast and unknown frame (BUF) label, and an encapsulated source site identifier when the MTU receives the frame from a source served by the MTU and the frame has an unknown destination address, wherein the first MTU includes a first media access control (MAC) learning element responsive to the first plurality of VC-LSPs to learn MAC addresses based on encapsulated source site identifiers, wherein the MTUs are fully meshed by respective VC-LSPs for each closed user group, and wherein the first MTU removes a BUF label and an encapsulated source site identifier from a MPLS packet formed by a different MTU and received via the PE device directly coupled to the first MTU.