Method for trasmitting service data, network element and communications system

Network element (5) for a communications network, comprising

• means for receiving data for a specific service from a service provider (1-4), which data is to be transmitted to a group of terminals (13) via at least a second network element (10) of a communications network;
• means for distributing said data for said specific service to one or more packets for transmission to said at least second network element (10) and for providing each of said packets with a data flow identification information which enables said at least second network element (10) to identify all received packets to which said data for said specific service was distributed;
• and
• means for transmitting said packets to said at least second network element (10).

Network element (10) of a communications network, comprising

• receiving means for receiving from another network element (5) packets to which data for a specific service was distributed at said other network element (5) upon receipt of said data for a specific service from a service provider (1-4), wherein each of said packets comprises a data flow identification information identifying all packets to which data for said specific service was distributed;
• means for extracting said data flow identification information from each received packet containing such a data flow identification information;
• and
• means for forwarding the data for a specific service in accordance with said extracted information to a group of terminals (13).