The InterStream model enables a number of participants in the economy, allowing each to market and price their service to increase demand throughout the whole economy. In the end, creating a market economy that allows streamcasters to reach the consumer via a PC or “Net-top” box and offer a personalized, on-demand, DVD quality experience.

Streamcaster

A streamcaster manages the streaming servers and has the legal rights to distribute the content. Content must be registered with a “click-to-accept” InterStream content distribution license. Streamcasters set their own price for each piece of content and will purchase the transit network services required to reach the exchange points in desired broadband markets.

Account Provider

The Account Provider (AP) is responsible for representing the total retail transaction price to the consumer and transferring wholesale payment into escrow. Packages, promotional pricing and loyalty programs can be offered to the consumer through the AP. Each AP is licensed through InterStream. InterStream's net-top implementation includes a "wallet" function that may also be optionally used by the AP.

Broadband Service Provider

The broadband provider (BP) delivers the content to the home, business, or Value-Added Edge Provider. By executing an InterStream Escrowed Peering agreement, the BP agrees to provide premium delivery services for InterStream-marked traffic. For this premium service, the BP sets its own price and thus receives premium incremental revenue, through the InterStream settlement system.

Escrow and Meter Service

The Escrow and Meter Service (EMS) underwrites the value for all InterStream transactions. It performs the escrow, metering and settlement function under license from InterStream. Escrowed Peering Exchanges collect information on stream performance, duration, quality and volume. In real-time, the EMS checks to see that a broadband provider has the capacity to deliver a high quality experience before authorizing the stream. Once authorized, the EMS meters the stream to ensure the contracted quality level is met. Following content delivery, the system facilitates distributed settlement of the transaction escrow value to the appropriate constituents in the delivery path. By eliminating traditional book-entry clearinghouse architecture, InterStream reduces transactional costs significantly.*

Value-Added Edge Provider

By connecting to a broadband provider in the InterStream economy, any hotel, college campus, business, airport, or wireless hotspot becomes a value-added edge provider. As with other segments of the economic system, this group sets its own price and receives incremental revenue through the InterStream settlement system.

Escrowed Peering Exchange

An Escrowed Peering Exchange is a standard Internet exchange that supports all existing peering and transit agreements. The InterStream specified systems within the exchange marks packets in a way compatible with the premium service being offered by the broadband service provider. The broadband provider executes an InterStream Escrowed Peering agreement and implements InterStream metering and settlement technology at the exchange.*In conjunction with the InterStream content distribution license, this agreement matches bandwidth buyers and sellers and guarantees the consumer the highest possible quality experience at all times. Through this model, streamcasters pool their purchasing power, effectively increasing demand for premium broadband service and reducing costs.

Broadband Consumer

In the InterStream ecosystem, a consumer is someone who has access to high speed broadband services using the InterStream settlement system. Consumers find and request content from registered account providers that offer registered content. The consumer uses a billable account or anonymous pre-paid account (like a phone card) to which the content and delivery fees will be charged.

• The consumer
• The consumer account provider
• The video provider
• The network provider
• The value-added edge
• The escrow provider