Method and apparatus for transferring information from an information source to information receivers

A method of transferring information in a telecommunication system, the telecommunication system having at least one central system manager containing the information for operating the telecommunications system, the telecommunications system configured to transfer the information to a plurality of terminals that are connected to the telecommunications system, the terminals being capable of being connected to each other and to the central system manager, and the central system manager successively supplying the terminals with the information in consecutive steps, the method comprising:

• supplying the information from the central system manager to a first terminal;
• supplying the information from the central system manager to a second terminal;
• supplying the information from the first terminal to a third terminal simultaneously with said supplying of the information from the central system manager to the second terminal;
• and
• respectively supplying the information from terminals that have already been supplied with the information, to an additional terminal, until all of the terminals to be supplied with information have obtained the information.

An apparatus for transferring information from a central information source to a plurality of information receivers, said information receivers capable of being connected to each other and to said central information source, said central information source successively supplying said information receivers with information in consecutive steps, the apparatus comprising:

• a first supplier adapted to supply the information from said central the information source to a first the information receiver;
• a second supplier adapted to supply the information from said central the information source to a second information receiver;
• and
• a third supplier adapted to supply the information from said first the information receiver to a third the information receiver simultaneously with said supplying the information from said central the information source to said second the information receiver;
• wherein:
• at least one of said first, second and third suppliers are adapted to respectively supply the information from the information receivers that have already been supplied with the information, to an additional information receiver, until all of said information receivers to be supplied with the information have obtained the information.