An application-aware media access control (MAC) layer for optimizing end user application internet protocol (IP) quality of service (QoS) to IP flows comprising:</claim-text> identifying means for identifying an application type of a software cation associated with an IP flow; and allocating means for allocating resources to said IP flow, responsive to said identifying means, so as to optimize end user application IP QoS requirements of said software application, wherein said resource allocating means allocates resources in a packet-centric manner that is not circuit-centric and does not use asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). view more