Method and system for reducing congestion in connection-oriented packet networks having digital subscriber line access

A method for provisioning a data connection between a client and a destination over a dedicated network having a digital subscriber line portion and a connection-oriented packet network portion, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a subscribed data rate;
• determining a maximum trainable rate of said digital subscriber line portion;
• provisioning a permanent virtual circuit channel across said connection-oriented packet network portion at said subscribed data rate if said maximum trainable rate is greater or equal to than said subscribed data rate;
• provisioning a permanent virtual circuit channel across said connection-oriented packet network portion at a data rate corresponding to said maximum trainable rate if said maximum trainable rate is less than said subscribed data rate, thereby releasing bandwidth for other permanent virtual circuit channels on said connection-oriented packet network that would have been unused had said permanent virtual circuit channel been provisioned at said subscribed data rate.

A method for provisioning a permanent data connection between a client premises and a destination over an ATM network that includes an xDSL link to the client premises, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a subscribed data rate;
• installing a remote DSL terminal unit at the client premises;
• installing a Central Office (“CO”) DSL terminal unit at a central office near said client premises and establishing a wired connection between the remote DSL terminal unit and the CO DSL terminal unit, said CO DSL terminal unit being capable of training at one of a plurality of data speed increments not aligned with said subscribed data rate, said trained data rate being selected to correspond to one of the lowest data speed increment greater than said subscribed data rate and the greatest data speed increment less than said subscribed data rate;
• at a network operations center, provisioning an ATM channel between said CO DSL terminal unit and an ATM network switch near said destination, said ATM being provisioned at the subscribed rate;
• installing a data link between the CO DSL terminal unit and the network operations center;
• instructing said CO DSL terminal unit to test for a maximum trainable rate between said CO DSL terminal unit and said remote DSL terminal unit;
• transmitting information related to said maximum trainable rate from said CO DSL terminal unit to the network operations center;
• and
• activating said xDSL link and said ATM channel, wherein said activating said xDSL link comprises instructing said digital subscriber line portion to train at a data rate not substantially greater than said subscribed data rate, whereby congestion between said digital subscriber line portion and said connection-oriented packet network portion due to data rate mismatch therebetween is substantially avoided;
• whereby said network operations center is capable of monitoring the status of said xDSL link using said data link to said CO DSL terminal unit.