Patent attributes
A method for bandwidth sharing is provided. The method may include getting a list of neighboring communications hubs, the neighboring communications hubs being disposed in respective neighboring residences. The neighboring communications hubs may be communicatively coupled to the first communications hub using a first broadband data network provisioned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and the neighboring residences may be within a same predetermined geographic region as the first residence or within a predetermined temporal distance on a data network from the first residence. The method determines if a data requirement exceeds bandwidth available to the first communications hub and provides a request for data to a neighboring communications hub. The request corresponds to the data requirement. The method then receives data responsive to the request from the neighboring communications hub.