Abstract: The present invention provides a method for communicating signaling messages associated with a communication system whereby a network within the communications system is responsible for setting up a signaling path between users of the communication system. However, once that signaling path is established by the network, the users may communicate with each other whereby the network is not needed to pass data between the users thereby substantially decreasing demand on the network and freeing it for other system functions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for communicating signaling messages associated with a communication system whereby a network within the communications system is responsible for setting up a signaling path between users of the communication system. However, once that signaling path is established by the network, the users may communicate with each other whereby the network is not needed to pass data between the users thereby substantially decreasing demand on the network and freeing it for other system functions.

Abstract: A multicast message is transmitted from an originating subscriber unit (110, FIG. 1) through a network of satellite communications nodes (120, 130, and 140) to a plurality of receiving subscriber units (150, 160, and 170). Each message is distributed through the network of satellite communications nodes (120, 130, and 140) and replicated at the node nearest to the receiving subscriber unit. Receiving subscriber units (150, 160, and 170) are mapped into geographic cells which allows a single multicast transmission to be transmitted from the satellite communications node to those subscriber units within the same geographic cell. Multicast groups and membership rules are established by the originating subscriber unit (110) through a service provider (180). A multicast session manager (185) manages the multicast session.

Abstract: Methods (400, 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900) and a multi-layer service management system (300) enable mutilayer service management in a global network environment in a communication system (100) which includes a core network (230) and multiple Distributed Virtual Network Segments (DVNSs) (240). The system (300) includes a network service manager (315) capable of managing a set of services for operating the core network, DVNS service managers (DVNSMs) (345, 347) residing within a core side (340) and a product side (335) of each item of DVNS equipment (330) for managing a first and second set of services associated with the DVNS and also a set of value added services (352) provided through the DVNS equipment (330), and a processor/server 385 residing within customer premises equipment (CPE) (370) for enabling provision of value added services to the CPE.