Patent ID: 8775645

Claim:
A method for use in a telecommunication network for allocating network resources to a plurality of users, said method comprises the steps of: a) providing a plurality of time intervals each starting at a time of the day different from the other time intervals; b) for each of said plurality of users, associating, for each of the plurality of time intervals, a corresponding characteristic consumption of network resources which is based on past utilization of network resources during that respective time interval by the respective user, wherein at least two of each user's characteristic consumption of network resources that correspond each to a different time interval, are different from each other; c) based on a service level agreement associated with each of said plurality of users, determining a minimum level of service guaranteed to each respective user; d) prior to the time of the day at which a respective future time interval is due to start, aggregating the characteristic consumption of network resources by all users that are currently active, and determining said aggregated value to be an aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that future time interval; e) comparing the aggregated expected consumption of network resources with currently available network resources, and determining whether the aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that time interval is greater than the currently available network resources; f) if the aggregated expected consumption of network resources for that time interval by all currently active users is determined to be greater than the currently available network resources, identifying the currently active users whose respective characteristic consumption of network resources associated with said future time interval, exceeds their respective minimum level of service guaranteed; and g) allocating for at least one of currently active users identified, network resources which are less than the characteristic consumption of network resources associated with that user for that time interval, but which are not less than the minimum level of service guaranteed for the user, wherein said allocation is made while ensuring that each of the currently active users will be provided during that future time interval with network resources that are in conformity with at least the minimum level of service guaranteed to that respective user.