Abstract: Systems and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide techniques for locating a service using DNS search techniques. For example, an IP address of a customer's end user device (10, 20, 30) can be used to perform a reverse DNS search from which an entry pointing to a service, e.g., a payment service or a video delivery service, can be obtained. The entry, e.g., a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), can then be used to access or evaluate the identified service.

Abstract: A network unit for use in a real-time communications network in which streams of data frames are transmitted to a plurality of receivers, said network unit being arranged to receive at least a first part of at least a first stream of data frames transmitted from at least a first content source is described, said unit being characterized in that it comprises At least one buffer arranged to store each data frame of a stream of data frames; A transmitting unit arranged to communicate with at least one other network unit to transmit at least one data frame to another network unit; A receiving unit arranged to receive from said other network unit at least one data frame belonging to the stream of data and store said data frame in the at least one buffer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining a real time media stream provided as a plurality of media fragments from a plurality of remote nodes in a communications network. A first series of media fragments satisfying a first selection criterion is requested from a first remote node and a further series of media fragments satisfying a further different selection criterion is requested from at least one further remote node. When combined, the first series of fragments and the further series of fragments provide the complete media stream.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for obtaining a real time media stream provided as a plurality of media fragments from a plurality of remote nodes in a communications network is described. Media fragments are requested from the plurality of remote nodes. A series of media fragments is received from at least one of the plurality of remote nodes. A selection criterion is determined for identifying the series of data fragments, and a blocking request is sent to at least one other of the plurality of remote nodes, the blocking request instructing the at least one other node to block the media fragments satisfying the selection criterion from being sent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus according to the present invention enables a mobile terminal in a mobile communication network to end a packet data session to save battery power while maintaining a long-lived TCP connection with a server in an external packet data network. The method comprises receiving a keep alive message from a server for a mobile client at a network node in the mobile communication network and, if there is no current packet data session between the mobile client and the network node, responding to the keep alive message on behalf of the mobile client to maintain a connection between the server and said mobile client. The apparatus comprises a GGSN or other network node in the mobile communication network configured to practice the method.