Abstract: Various embodiments of the inventive subject matter provide a framework that may be used to provide service level differentiation in an IPTV delivery system based on program content for any given television channel or programming. For example, for the same TV channel, different service levels may be offered and provided, with each level of service offering to individual subscribers. For example, in one embodiment service levels may be provided by varying the number and duration of commercials or the amount of display space afforded to commercials, value-added content and/or entertainment content in a particular channel. Accordingly, the systems and methods hereof allow service providers flexibility to provide IPTV advertisement and value-added content services. This service differentiation can be used to attract different levels of subscribers, increasing the penetration ratio of IPTV services, facilitate the delivery of effective advertisements to target subscribers, and/or increase revenue.

Abstract: Methods, software products, and systems establish a connection between a source network element and a destination network element in a communication network comprising a plurality of first network elements. The first network elements are partitioned into at least two areas wherein a shared network element is shared between the at least two areas. A working path is then generated between the source network element and the destination network element through the shared network element. A first backup sub-path is then generated within a first one of the at least two areas between the source network element and the shared network element. A second backup sub-path is generated within a second one of the at least two areas between the shared network element and the destination network element.

Abstract: A broadband residential gateway (BRG) management system (101) has a communications interface (102) coupled to one or more BRGs 120 and one or more content service providers (CSPs) (110), a memory (104), and a processor (106). The processor can be programmed to establish (202) a content profile for each of the BRGs according to one or more attributes of the BRGs and the CSPs, receive (204) a content access request from one or more BRGs, and supply (206) each BRG access to selectable content from one or more of the CSPs according to the content profile.