The present invention provides a method and system for controlling usage of network resources on a communications network. The method comprising acts of: (a) creating one or more packet rules for analyzing packets received at one or more devices of the communications network, each rule including a condition and action to be taken if a packet received at a device satisfies the condition; and (b) creating one or more service abstractions associated with a user of the communication network, each service abstraction representing a named set of one or more of the packet rules. In some embodiments one or more role abstractions may be created, each role abstraction representing a role of a user with respect to the communications network, and each role abstraction including a set of one or more packet rules, and possibly one or more service abstractions.