METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TO MULTIPLE TENANTS IN A BUILDING

摘要

The invention includes a service exchange platform (12), a service access unit (14), and a service provisioning system (16). The service exchange platform provides one or more trunk interfaces with public and private communications networks. The service access unit provides multimedia communications service including voice and data service to the tenant premises. The service provisioning system is a software platform for managing a network of service exchange platforms and service access units. Within the service exchange platform and the service access unit and/or in communications between them, a modified ETHERNET protocol is used. Specifically, the 48-bit MAC field in each ETHERNET packet is redefined to include a QOS indicator and ATM VPI/VCI type routing information. This enables rapid routing of packets throughout the system and maintenance of QOS for voice packets.