System and method for a multi-host subscriber loop

A multi-host subscriber loop, comprising:

• a plurality of remote terminals coupled to a plurality of telephone service subscribers, a particular one of the remote terminals being coupled to each of the other remote terminals;
• a single network facility coupled to the particular one of the remote terminals, the single network facility concentrating subscriber traffic, control information and associated signaling onto one message structure and transmitting messages having the message structure to and from the particular one of the remote terminals, the message structure including a plurality of time slots, a first predetermined number of time slots being allocated to a plurality of control channels, at least one time slot being allocated to associated signaling, and remaining time slots being allocated to subscriber traffic, the particular one of the remote terminals operable to pass on messages according to their destination to the other remote terminals.

A central office terminal, comprising:

• a first interface operable to receive information from and send information to a plurality of remote terminals over a transport medium, the plurality of remote terminals each providing a communication capability for a plurality of subscribers;
• an extraction unit operable to extract and identify information for processing, the first interface operable to send information identified by the extraction unit as being received from a first one of the plurality of remote terminals to a processor in the central office terminal;
• a second interface operable to send information identified by the extraction unit as being received from a second one of the plurality of remote terminals for processing by a second central office terminal, the second interface operable to receive information from the second central office terminal, the second interface operable to pass information received from the second central office terminal to the first interface for transfer over the transport medium to the second one of the plurality of remote terminals, wherein the first interface is associated with the first one of the plurality of remote terminals and the second interface is associated with the second one of the plurality of remote terminals.

A central office terminal, comprising:

• a first interface operable to receive information from and send information to a transport medium;
• an extraction unit operable to extract and identify information for processing;
• a second interface operable to send information identified by the extraction unit for processing by a second central office terminal, the second interface operable to receive information from the second central office terminal, the second interface operable to pass information received from the second central office terminal to the first interface for transfer over the transport medium, wherein the first interface is operable to generate a message structure for transfer over the transport medium, the message structure including concentrated subscriber traffic, control information, and associated signaling allocated in a plurality of time slots, wherein each portion of the message structure has a first number of time slots for carrying subscriber traffic of a second number of subscribers associated with the corresponding remote terminal, the first number of time slots being less than the second number of subscribers.