Method and system for maintaining a guaranteed quality of service in data transfers within a communications system

摘要

A cable telephony system (100) including a plurality of subscriber units (104) connected to a head-end (102) by a cable distribution network (106) in which upstream and downstream data transmissions are sent between subscribers (104) and head-end (102). Both shared and unshared connections are supported within cable telephony system (100). Transmission between a subscriber (104) and head-end (102) may involve both a shared and unshared connection in which unshared connections are employed to provide a higher quality of service when the shared connection is unable to do so.