Enhanced handling of multicast data streams within a broadband access network of a telecommunications network

A telecommunications network for handling of multicast data streams within a broadband access network of the telecommunications network, wherein the broadband access network comprises a plurality of service edge nodes to be connected to customer premises equipments, the customer premises equipments being provided to be connected to the broadband access network for handling both unicast traffic and multicast data streams between the customer premises equipments and the broadband access network,

• wherein, for transmitting unicast traffic-related data packets between a specific service edge node and a specific customer premises equipment, the telecommunication network is adapted to establish a point-to-point-protocol connection or a tunneling protocol connection between the specific service edge node and the specific customer premises equipment, the point-to-point-protocol connection or the tunneling protocol connection having an assigned session identifier information, wherein—in case that a multicast data stream, comprising multicast data stream-related data packets, is to be transmitted to the specific customer premises equipment—the telecommunications network is configured such that:
• the specific service edge node is adapted to receive a join request message from the specific customer premises equipment;
• the specific service edge node is adapted to transmit an activation request message to a multicast controller node within the broadband access network, wherein via the activation request message, at least part of the join request message is forwarded to the multicast controller node together with the session identifier information of the point-to-point-protocol connection or the tunneling protocol connection between the specific service edge node and the specific customer premises equipment;
• and
• the multicast controller node is adapted to generate and/or replicate the multicast data stream-related data packets and is adapted to inject these multicast data stream-related data packets, using the corresponding session identifier information, into the point-to-point-protocol connection or the tunneling protocol connection between the specific service edge node and the specific customer premises equipment.

A system for handling of multicast data streams within a broadband access network of a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

• the telecommunications network;
• and
• a plurality of customer premises equipments;
• wherein the broadband access network comprises a plurality of service edge nodes to be connected to the customer premises equipments, the customer premises equipments being provided to be connected to the broadband access network for handling both unicast traffic and multicast data streams between the customer premises equipments and the broadband access network;
• wherein, for transmitting unicast traffic-related data packets between a specific service edge node and a specific customer premises equipment, the system is adapted to establish a point-to-point-protocol connection or a tunneling protocol connection between the specific service edge node and the specific customer premises equipment, the point-to-point-protocol connection or the tunneling protocol connection having an assigned session identifier information, wherein—in case that a multicast data stream, comprising multicast data stream-related data packets, is to be transmitted to the specific customer premises equipment the system is configured such that:
• the specific service edge node is adapted to receive a join request message from the specific customer premises equipment;
• the specific service edge node is adapted to transmit an activation request message to a multicast controller node within the broadband access network, wherein via the activation request message, at least part of the join request message is forwarded to the multicast controller node together with the session identifier information of the point-to-point-protocol connection or the tunneling protocol connection between the specific service edge node and the specific customer premises equipment;
• and
• the multicast controller node is adapted to generate and/or replicate the multicast data stream-related data packets and is adapted to inject these multicast data stream-related data packets, using the corresponding session identifier information, into the point-to-point-protocol connection or the tunneling protocol connection between the specific service edge node and the specific customer premises equipment.