SERVICE SESSION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

A service session resource manager (72) for use in a router (18) capable of routing a plurality of at least partially contemporaneous service sessions over a communications line is described which mediates between services competing for bandwidth. The service session manager (72) updates its internal state based on both mediation enabled (22b) and mediation non-enabled (22a) devices. The resource manager (72) comprises memory arranged to store a current resource utilization indicator for a resource of said communications line, a service request processor arranged to process a new service session request from a client terminal to determine a required resource for said new service session over said communications line and to determine if the required resource is available in dependence on an available line rate and said current utilization indicator, means to reserve the required resource, means to update said current utilization indicator to indicate the allowed resource reservation; and means to respond to said requesting client that said resources have been reserved, wherein said current resource utilization indicator is also updated by said service request processor to indicate a resource used by one or more service sessions established by one or more client terminals configured to send service requests over said communications line without requesting access to the service from said service session manager.