Apparatus and method for processing labeled flows in a communications access network

摘要

A system and method is provided for managing access communications between the service edge (112) of a communications service provider and a customer (116). Access communications are carried in the form of carrier-tagged flows, the communications traffic being appended with carrier tags having significance to handling of the traffic through access network elements. A building aggregation system (114) is provided which couples to customer premise equipment (116) and interfaces customer flows to carrier-tagged flows used in the access network.