HK1153593B - Method and system for authenticated fast channel change of media provided over a dsl connection - Google Patents

Description

Method and system for authenticated fast channel change of media provided over DSL connection

The application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with the application date of 3/4/2003, the application number of 03800383.X, entitled "method and system for authenticating a fast channel change of media provided through a DSL connection".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to enabling a customer to access media through a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection, and more particularly to enabling a customer to quickly change channels of media provided over a DSL connection.

Background

Telephone companies provided voice services to customers primarily using residential telephone lines 25 years ago. Customers typically go outside the home, in movie theaters, restaurants or parks for entertainment. Broadcast television is a major channel of home entertainment. The cable industry is a new-generation industry, and mainly consists of arranging a large antenna and installing a line amplifier so as to provide received signals for a plurality of households. At that time, telephone companies were not challenged to meet their share of the voice service market. Wired operators are too rare and too specialized to be of interest.

Currently, the main service provided by telephone companies is still voice service. However, the boundary between the cable industry and the communications industry is increasingly blurred. Cable companies have not stopped delivering entertainment media. They also transmit data traffic over cable modems and show an intention to compete with telephone companies in transmitting voice traffic to residential customers.

As technology has advanced, telephone lines and cable lines connected to residences have become substantially the same. Each line differs from any other line in the services it provides to the customer. And the services provided by the line determine its importance and value. The more services a single line can provide to a customer, the more valuable the line is. Thus, separate lines connecting to the home for each service have become less important and are generally unnecessary.

Over time, the type of entry point/connection to the home has become less important than the services it can provide. While it is possible to assess group psychology (group psycho) and examine human behavioral results in order to try and determine why mainstream entertainment industries such as cable companies and internet companies are in an exponentially growing form, this is not an object of the present invention. However, it is important to note that growing digital displays, when associated with entertainment, produce profitable large-market (mass-market) consumer viewers, and an increasing portion of the market. The advent of cable companies and internet companies from the beginning weak to the now comprehensive large enterprise has demonstrated an observation.

The observation is divided into two parts. The first is the growth of large market consumer audience for entertainment provided to homes. The second part is that entertainment has played the same important role in the emergence of the whole new revenue segment.

Entertainment may be visual and auditory, such as video or movies. Purely visual entertainment may take the form of a book, magazine, or newspaper. Auditory entertainment may include music, commentary, news broadcasts, and the like. The advent of the open format for the exchange of visual entertainment over the internet has become one of the cornerstones in the advent and establishment of dominant online service providers. Entertainment as described above does not distinguish it from information and pure entertainment. However, the distinction between information and entertainment is more qualitative and subjective. The extent of delivery of such information and entertainment does not have to be different. Thus, visual and auditory entertainment may be collectively referred to as media.

For telecommunication companies to compete effectively for customers in the future, they must deploy an attractive set of services including media. These services must also be at least identical if not capable of exceeding the performance of similar services on other networks, such as those provided by cable companies. It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to overcoming the shortcomings, drawbacks, and problems set forth above, and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for authenticated fast channel change with respect to media such as video delivered to a client over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The invention allows channel changes to be implemented very quickly, with access node acknowledgements. An example of an access node is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) that provides high speed access to customers, through which channels are transmitted. The reason that the channel is not available to the customer may be a commercial reason, i.e., the customer may not reserve or pay for the requested channel. It may also be because a lock has been placed on the requested channel to limit the availability of the customer for that channel based on time constraints or personal preferences. For example, a customer may not allow a child to watch a violent movie on a particular channel.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of enabling fast access to at least one channel over an xDSL connection. At least one multicast enabled Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) is used to enable access to at least one channel on the core network. At least one subscriber is coupled to the core network via an xDSL connection. At the multicast enabled DSLAM, a request for at least one channel is received from a customer. The receiving DSLAM locally serves the xDSL connection for that subscriber. The information stored at the receiving DSLAM is used to determine whether to grant the subscriber access to the requested channel. If it is determined that the subscriber is permitted to access the requested channel, a single instance of each channel selectable by the subscriber is established using the DSLAM to access the requested channel on the core network.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide at least one IGMP multicast communication protocol. Additionally, a user may employ a set-top box to provide an xDSL connection that is locally serviced by the receiving DSLAM. In addition, the stored information may be included in a database located at the receiving DSLAM.

Another aspect of the invention is to provide each instance of each channel to a core network through a router coupled to another network. In addition, remote processes may be employed to maintain the saved information. In addition, remote processes may be employed to update the saved information.

Another aspect of the invention is to access the requested channel through the xDSL connection of the subscriber receiving the local service of the DSLAM. Additionally, the channel may include media for display, recording, and playing with the set-top box. Further, the media may include at least one of video, graphics, images, text, talk shows, and television shows.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the apparatus, system, and computer-readable medium may be used to implement substantially the same operations as described above with respect to the method.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary system that enables a customer to change channels of media over an xDSL telephone line;

fig. 2A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary core network including a non-multicast enabled DSLAM;

fig. 2B shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary core network including a multicast enabled DSLAM;

fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary core network including a multicast enabled DSLAM that acknowledges a customer's channel request;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary core network with respect to the interaction of an OSS, DSLAM and STB;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating operations performed by the authentication module;

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of operations performed by the OSS module;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary set-top box;

fig. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary DSLAM in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments of the invention. Each embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "packet" refers to an IP packet. The term "flow" refers to a packet flow. The term "connection" refers to a flow of packets that share a common path. The term "node" refers to a network component that interconnects one or more networks or devices. The term "user" refers to any individual or customer, such as a business or organization, that employs devices to communicate or access resources over a network. The term "operator" refers to any technician or organization that maintains or services the packet-based network.

The term "router" refers to a dedicated network component that receives packets and forwards the packets to their destination. In particular, routers are used to extend or segment networks by forwarding packets from one logical network to another. Routers typically operate at layer 3 and below of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model for networking. However, some routers may provide additional functionality that operates above layer 3 of the OSI reference model.

The term "xDSL" refers to any Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) that passes packets between an end user's modem and an access node, such as a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) connected to a core network. Various forms of DSL include asynchronous DSL, synchronous DSL, Rate DSL, hybrid DSL, very high bit Rate DSL, and the like.

The term "core network" refers to any packet-switched digital network. Such as frame relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and switched megabit data services, among others.

The term DSLAM refers to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer that is used to split signals from multiple local xDSL loops into analog voice signals for the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and data signals for the core network.

The term set-top box or "STB" refers to a device that enables a monitor, display screen, television set, etc. to become the user interface of a digital network such as a core network, the internet, etc. The set-top box is also capable of enabling the reception and decoding of digital broadcasts for recording, playback and/or display.

Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. In addition, reference to the singular includes reference to the plural unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise inconsistent with the disclosure herein.

A method and system for rapidly changing the channel of media provided by a carrier over an xDSL connection to a home is provided. The subscriber information of each customer is stored in a DSLAM supporting xDLS connections to the home. In addition, each DSLAM supports multicast communication protocols, providing only one instance of a channel in the core network, regardless of how many users have requested access to the channel.

When a customer is watching media at home on a television that receives wireless signals from a terrestrial television station, the channel changes quickly. Generally, channel changes occur in one second or less. In addition, when a client is watching a channel on a television that receives signals over a cable network, the channel changes quickly. Thus, the client expects a fairly fast channel change request response. As the number of media channels increases, it becomes more difficult to ensure that the channels are changed quickly for the customer.

Not all media channels are identical. In addition to the obvious differences in program theme and nature, as well as subjective differences, some channels are considered premium channels. The charging channel brings different cost structures to the customer. This cost structure may take the form of a different subscription per period (weekly or monthly) or may charge the viewer an additional fee for a single viewing (a pay-per-view on a particular event). Different premium channels may be combined with standard channels to produce different data packets or subscription levels. The combination of a set of channels is often referred to as a service package, sometimes referred to as a subscription level. The service package may be any number of combinations of advanced and standard channels. The above service packages may also not have any video channel.

To ensure that the service package is charged, service providers typically employ a service package validation system. For example, in the cable TV industry, such acknowledgement packets are referred to as Conditional Access Systems (CAS). Another example is a smart card commonly used by service providers who transmit their data packets over the satellite downlink. Service package validation is well established in the cable TV industry as well as in the satellite TV industry. With the cable TV service package, the channel can be changed quickly (channel surfing) and the confirmation can be done quickly in real time. However, service pack validation systems are not well known in the communications industry.

A service package validation system is essential for a media service provider to effectively use wired or wireless access to a home provided by a telephone company. However, any service package validation system provided by the telephone company must process channel change requests as fast as for terrestrial TV or cable TV systems. For telephone companies, IP-based networks are a popular choice for delivering media to guest rooms. In an effort to conserve bandwidth on the core network, media is typically multicast from a single source. The internet multicast communication protocol is defined as an international standard by the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP). See IETF RFC-2236, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Although fast channel changes can be accomplished using the IGMP protocol, it is not always possible to complete channel changes quickly when the customer's request must first be authenticated and approved. In the past, when media was distributed over IP-based telephone carrier networks using multicast communication methods, authentication and approval were handled independently by invoking explicit calls to application-layer authorities or systems. This separate processing typically significantly increases the latency of responding to channel change requests from clients.

Fig. 1 illustrates an overview of an exemplary system 100 that enables a customer to change/select media channels using set-top boxes 110A-F over xDSL telephone lines. DSLAMs 108A-C are coupled to a core network 112 that supports xDSL telephone lines coupled to respective local set top boxes 110A-F. Program guide server 104 is coupled to router 106 and billing and subscriber management server 102 over another network (not shown). Additionally, the types of media provided by the channel include, but are not limited to, video, graphics, images, music, text, talk shows, television shows, and the like.

In fig. 1, the client requests/changes a channel from the set-top box 11F. Channel requests are received by DSLAM 108C over the xDSL line and transmitted to program guide server 104 via core network 112 through router 106. The program guide server 104 processes the request by extracting the client identification number (ID) and other characteristics of the request. Program guide server 104 requests billing and subscriber management server 102 to acknowledge the channel request from the client. Billing and subscriber management server 102 determines whether the customer is authorized to receive the requested channel and sends a confirmation response to program guide server 104, program guide server 104 then either allowing or disallowing the change request based at least in part on the contents of the confirmation response.

Additionally, when a channel request is granted, program guide server 104 will provide the media for the requested channel to DSLAM 108C, which DSLAM 108C then transmits the media for the requested channel to set top box 110F. On the other hand, if the request is denied by program guide server 104, then media is not provided to DSLAM 108C and DSLAM 108 serves the customer locally at set top box 110F requesting the selected channel.

The associated time scale is as follows: t is_C-the time at which the client device (set-top box) sends the request; t is_CD-transit time between the customer and the DSLAM; t is_DP-a transit time from the DSLAM to the program guide server; t is_P-processing time in the program guide server; t is_PB-a transit time between the program guide server and the billing and subscriber data processing server; t is_B-billing and processing time in the user data processor; t is_BP-transit time from B to P; t is_PD-transit time from P to D; t is_DC-a switchover time from D to C; t is_CS-C determining the time required for the action taken as a result of the response. Thus, the total time taken to complete the client request is as follows:

T_original＝T_C+T_CD+T_DP+T_P+T_PB+T_B+T_BP+T_PD+T_DC+T_CS

alternatively, the program guide displayed to the customer may produce a previously confirmed available selection. Thus, any request from a client may be assumed to be valid. For this case, the total time used is represented by the following equation:

T_alternative＝T_C+T_CD+T_DC+T_CS

in addition, there are two assumptions in this equation. First, the DSLAM is allowed or multicast is available on the DSLAMA communication channel. If the DSLAM is not allowed to multicast traffic, the request must be transmitted to a program guide server or video rendezvous point. In this case, the total time increases to T_C+T_CD+T_DP+T_P+T_DC+T_CS. Second, the program guide server may remotely control the client device to send updated information thereto without being requested by the client device.

The present invention improves upon previous solutions in at least two ways. First, each DSLAM is allowed to multicast using IGMP. Second, the channel request from the customer is validated locally at the DSLAM serving the set-top box.

Figure 2A shows an exemplary system 200 that illustrates at least some of the disadvantages of utilizing non-multicast communicating DSLAMs 206A-C. The exemplary system 200 enables a customer to change/select media channels using a set-top box 204 over an xDSL telephone line. The non-multicast enabled DSLAMs 206A-C are coupled to a core network 208 supporting xDSL telephone lines coupled to their respective local set top boxes 204. On another network, a program guide server is coupled to router 202 and a billing and subscriber management server. Although not shown, these servers operate in substantially the same manner as described in fig. 1.

The media throughput at the media aggregation point, i.e., router 202, from another network (not shown here) to the core network 208 is proportional to the number of customers requesting channels at their set-top boxes 204 through their respective DSLAMs 206A-C. Even if two customers served by the same non-multicast enabled DSLAM request the same channel, a separate channel is established across the core network for each customer to view. In this case, a separate channel must be established for each customer request, for example, 6 set-top boxes coupled to the core network through the non-multicast enabled DSLAM may require 6-channel throughput at router 202 even though each set-top box requests the same channel.

The equation representing this relationship is as follows:

(core network utilization)_{MULTICAST_DSLAM}Showing the number of valid clients

Fig. 2B illustrates an exemplary system in which each DSLAM is licensed for multicast communications. The exemplary system 220 enables a customer to change/select media channels using a set-top box 224 over an xDSL telephone line. Multicast enabled DSLAMs 226A-C are coupled to a core network 228 that supports xDSL telephone lines coupled to respective local set top boxes 224. On another network (not shown), the program guide server is coupled to router 222 and to billing and subscriber management servers. Although not shown, these servers operate in substantially the same manner as described in fig. 1.

For the present embodiment, there is no duplication of channel communication across the core network 228. Instead, the multicast enabled DSLAM terminates the connection for each channel on the core network 228 and then processes the multicast requests among its locally served customers (set-top boxes 224). As such, the media absorption point, i.e., the throughput of the router 222, and the throughput on the core network 228 is directly proportional to the number of available channels. For example, if 6 set-top boxes are coupled to the core network through a multicast enabled DSLAM, each requesting only one of two different channels, then only a two channel throughput is required at router 202 to provide media to set-top box 224.

The equation representing the operation of the present embodiment is as follows:

generally, the number of active clients is much larger than the number of active channels.

Figure 3 illustrates the combination of the first and second improvements provided by the present invention. In particular, the second improvement enables the customer request from the set-top box to be validated (authenticated/approved) at the home serving DSLAM, which is allowed to multicast (IGMP supported). Subscriber information, billing information, and other information related to the customer is stored locally at the multicast enabled DSLAM. This information, in combination with the multicast facilities in the DSLAM, enables the customer's channel change request to be evaluated quickly and confirmed, providing nearly immediate media playback on the requested channel.

In fig. 3, an overview of an exemplary system 300 is illustrated to enable a customer to change/select media channels using set top boxes 310A-F over xDSL telephone lines. Multicast enabled DSLAMs 308A-C are coupled to a core network 312 that supports xDSL telephone lines coupled to respective local set top boxes 310A-F. On another network, program guide server 304 is coupled to router 306 and billing and subscriber management server 302. These servers operate in essentially the same manner as described in figure 1, except that the information necessary to confirm and approve the channel change request is downloaded to each DSLAM prior to the channel change request.

In this embodiment, the channel change request from the set top box 310F is only transmitted to the DSLAM 308C that serves locally and admits multicast communications. In addition, the core network 312 need only provide one instance of each requested channel for each validated and approved request, rather than a separate channel.

Thus, the total time of channel change for the embodiment shown in fig. 3 can be represented by the following equation:

T_{NEW_METHOD}＝T_C+T_CD+T_DC+T_CS

although the total time to process a channel change request is sometimes similar to some of the methods described above, the present invention improves upon at least three weaknesses in previous methods. In the present invention, the customer/user data for authentication/validation is only downloaded to the DSLAM. The DSLAM is maintained and managed by a service provider such as a telephone company. The customer does not have access to this information or to the management interface of the DSLAM. Therefore, it is difficult for unauthorized access to the media channel to illegally modify or arbitrarily delete the information.

In contrast, previous methods download data for authentication/validation and approval of channel changes to a device, such as a set-top box, present in the customer premises, which is vulnerable to hacking and/or unauthorized changes. In this case, an unscrupulous client (hacker) may apply a hacking operation such as channel probing. In channel probing, a hacker runs a program that issues seemingly valid channel change requests using an established multicast communication protocol, expecting at least one request to determine a correct set of channel identifiers. In the event that time is sufficient, a hacker can determine what the correct channel identifier is. Furthermore, if the DSLAM is not acknowledging the channel change request, it will answer any request with the correct data in it. Thus, attacks such as channel probing may be reduced with the present invention.

In addition, previous approaches have relied on devices stored such as set-top boxes located in the customer premises. This method is not secure since the information can be spoofed. Instead, the present invention authenticates/validates the customer information based on the access port of the customer at the DSLAM. Since the service provider maintains access port information, it is easy to securely associate the subscription package with a specific customer location.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram 400 of one embodiment of the invention, which includes two software components: an authentication module 402 running on the IGMP enabled DSLAM 414, the module 402 authenticating the customer service request; and an Operations Support System (OSS) module 408, the module 408 maintaining the freshness of the customer authentication data stored on the DSLAM 414 and communicating with remote applications that process the authentication data for each DSLAM on the core network (not shown, but substantially similar to the system shown in figure 3).

In fig. 4, DSLAM 414 is shown receiving a request for a media (video) channel from a customer's Set Top Box (STB)404 in the form of an IGMP request. In this example, monitor 406 is coupled to STB404 to play media (video) on the requested channel. In addition, an audio interface 412 is also coupled to the STB404 for playing audio signals on the requested channel.

When a channel change request is received, DSLAM 414 parses the request and, using authentication module 402, performs a lookup function on authentication database 410 based on the STB's IP address or an appropriate customer identifier such as a port ID, and the multicast address of the channel provided in the request content. The client device identifier may be assumed to be valid and unique. This information is checked in near real time against the STB identifier (e.g., MAC address) and media service profile information cached in DSLAM 402.

If the customer is approved to receive the requested channel, a copy of the channel will be provided to STB404 until another channel is selected. In the case where the client has not subscribed to the requested channel, a generic service rejection message may be provided. Under most conditions, the transaction time for sending a channel request from the STB and a response back from the DSLAM is less than 250 milliseconds when the present invention is employed.

As described above, the channel privileges of customers are cached at the multicast enabled DSLAM 414. In one embodiment, the present invention may provide a documented SNMP northbound interface to allow the OSS application 408 to maintain the accuracy of this information. This embodiment will be able to maintain this information on a STB by STB basis. Changes to this information may be supported during runtime and the information may be saved in a hash table in order to maintain rapid information retrieval speed.

Since the OSS component is typically located at a remote site, it can provide updates to the DSLAM on a per-subscription-change basis for each customer. In most cases, service providers desire to communicate subscription changes to DSLAMs on the core network in near real time. Thus, when a customer requests a new subscription to a channel or eliminates an existing one, the OSS can immediately provide the change to the DSLAM on the core network that locally serves the customer STB. It is apparent that the remote OSS application may send service change messages based on SNMP requests to the DSLAM for processing.

In one embodiment, the OSS module and/or its remote applications may be written in the "JAVA" programming language for execution in a JAVA virtual runtime environment. In another embodiment, the DSLAM-based authentication module may be encoded in the C programming language and executed in the operating system of the DSLAM.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram 500 of operations performed by the authentication module. From a start block, the process advances to block 502 where the DSLAM-based authentication module parses a channel change request (IGMP request) received from a set top box in the customer premises that obtains local service. The process proceeds to block 504 where the authentication module performs a lookup function on a subscriber database stored on the DSLAM that locally serves the set-top box. The process proceeds to decision block 506 where a determination is made as to whether the channel request is approved by the authentication module based at least in part on the client privileges contained in the locally stored user database. If not, the process jumps to an end block and returns to processing other operations.

If, however, the determination at decision block 506 is true, the process moves to block 508 where the authentication module asynchronously receives the subscriber database update provided by the OSS module. The process then proceeds to an end block and returns to performing other operations.

FIG. 6 illustrates an overview 600 of operations performed by the OSS module. From a start block, the process advances to block 602 where the OSS module asynchronously maintains respective subscriber databases locally stored on the DSLAM. The process proceeds to block 604 where the OSS module provides subscriber updates to each DSLAM-based subscriber database as media service features are added, changed or deleted. The process proceeds to block 606 where the OSS module asynchronously reviews the subscriber data stored in the subscriber databases on the respective DSLAMs. Thereafter, the process flows to an end block and returns to performing other operations.

Fig. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary Set Top Box (STB) 700. The power supply 720 provides power for the operation of each of the components contained in the STB 700. Bus 710 enables sharing of signals among several components including read-write memory (RAM)702, read-only memory (ROM)704, audio interface 706, output interface 708, storage interface 716, controller 714, and xDSL interface 712. Programs and data that control the operation of STB 700 can be stored in RAM 702, ROM 704, and/or storage 718, storage 718 coupled to storage interface 716. Although not shown, xDSL interface 712 is also coupled to the local service DSLAM via an xDSL loop. The audio interface 706 may be used to at least play and/or record audio media contained in a channel selected by the operator/customer.

The video interface 708 is used to output video signals contained in the channel selected by the operator/customer. The output video signal may be provided in any of several known formats for display on a display device such as a monitor, display screen, television set, or the like.

Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary DSLAM 800. The core network interface 806 is used for core network communication substantially as described before and after. Multiple set-top boxes (see fig. 7) may be served over xDSL interface 802, which xDSL interface 802 is coupled to each customer's local xDSL loop. Authentication module 810 performs substantially the same operations as described above and below and communicates with xDSL interface 802, system controller 812, subscriber database 814 and media channel access module 808. Consistently, the operation and interaction of each component of DSLAM 800 enables local authentication of the customer channel change request and multicast communication functions as described before and after.

The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

Claims (29)

1. A method of enabling fast access to media channels available on a core network from an access node admitting multicast communication, the method comprising:

receiving, at an access node, a request for a media channel from a subscriber coupled to the access node over a digital subscriber line;

granting access to the media channel based on information local to an access node, if the user is granted access to the media channel, wherein the access node responds to the request for the media channel based on information from the core network that is updated and maintained at the access node; and

an instance of a media channel is assigned to a subscriber over a digital subscriber line using a multicast communication protocol available at an access node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast enabled access node uses an IGMP multicast communication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is included in a database at the access node.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an instance of a media channel is provided to a core network through a router coupled to another network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote process is employed to maintain the information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the information is updated from a remote process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel carries media for at least one of display, recording, and playback using a set-top box.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multicast enabled access node is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is transmitted only to the access node.

10. A digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM, capable of fast access to media channels available on a core network, the DSLAM comprising:

a core network interface for exchanging packets with a core network using a packet-based protocol;

a digital subscriber line interface multiplexing a plurality of digital subscriber lines, each digital subscriber line coupling a respective subscriber to the DSLAM; and

the DSLAM is configured to receive a request for a media channel from a particular subscriber if it determines that the particular subscriber is permitted to access the media channel;

an authentication module that grants access to the media channel based on information local to the DSLAM, wherein the DSLAM responds to the request for the media channel based on information from the core network that is updated and maintained at the DSLAM; and

the DSLAM is configured to assign an instance of the media channel to a particular subscriber over the corresponding digital subscriber line using a multicast communication protocol available at the DSLAM.

11. The DSLAM of claim 10, wherein multicast access is granted using IGMP protocols.

12. The DSLAM of claim 10, wherein the information is stored in a local database.

13. A system for enabling fast access to media channels available on an IP-based core network, the system comprising:

an access node admitting multicast communications, configured to:

granting a user access to a media channel on a core network, wherein the user is coupled to the access node via a local digital subscriber line loop data connection; and

allocating an instance of a media channel to a subscriber over a local digital subscriber line loop data connection using a multicast communication protocol available at an access node;

a set-top box that sends a request for a media channel from a subscriber to an access node that permits multicast communications over a local digital subscriber line loop data connection;

maintaining a database of information at an access node, the information being used to determine whether a user is granted access to a media channel, wherein the access node responds to requests for media channels based on information from a core network that is updated and maintained at the access node; and

a router that enables the core network to establish a single instance of a user selectable media channel that is admitted at an access node.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the multicast enabled access node is multicast enabled using IGMP.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a remote process that maintains the information.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the multicast enabled access node is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM.

17. A method of providing fast access to media channels available on a core network from an access node admitting multicast communication, the method comprising:

receiving, at an access node admitting multicast communication, a request for a media channel from a user connected to the access node over a local loop data connection;

determining whether to grant the user access to the media channel based on information provided for the user at an access node, wherein the access node responds to the request for the media channel based on information from the core network that is updated and maintained at the access node; and

if it is determined that the user is permitted to access the media channel, the user is enabled to access an instance of the media channel over the local loop data connection using a multicast communication protocol.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the multicast enabled access node is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM.

19. An apparatus for enabling fast access to media channels available on a core network from an access node, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at an access node that permits multicast communication, a request for a media channel from a subscriber coupled to the access node over a digital subscriber line;

means for granting access to the media channel based on information local to an access node if the user is granted access to the media channel, wherein the access node responds to the request for the media channel based on information updated and maintained at the access node from the core network; and

means for providing access to an instance of a media channel to a user over a digital subscriber line using a multicast communication protocol available at an access node.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the multicast enabled access node uses an IGMP multicast communication protocol.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the information is included in a database at the access node.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for providing an instance of a media channel to a core network through a router coupled to another network.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for employing a remote process to maintain information.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for updating the information from a remote process.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the channel carries media for at least one of display, recording, and playback using a set-top box.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the multicast enabled access node is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the request is transmitted only to the access node.

28. An apparatus for providing fast access to media channels available on a core network from an access node that permits multicast communications, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at an access node admitting multicast communication, a request for a media channel from a user connected to the access node over a local loop data connection;

means for determining whether to grant the user access to the media channel based on information provided for the user at an access node, wherein the access node responds to the request for the media channel based on information updated and maintained at the access node from the core network; and

means for enabling the user to access one instance of the media channel over the local loop data connection using the multicast communication protocol if it is determined that the user is permitted access to the media channel.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the multicast enabled access node is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer, DSLAM.