A method and apparatus for emulating VPLS within an ATM network. Provider Edge devices are configured for VPLS connections. For each pair of provider edge devices supporting the same VPLS ID, one device establishes a virtual circuit between the pair. Thus, a full mesh of virtual circuits is established between provider edge devices, and a VPLS-like service can be offered to users without having to implement MPLS. Establishing the virtual circuits within a PNNI hierarchy maybe facilitated by each provider edge device propagating through the hierarchy an information group containing an association between the ATM address of the device and a VPLS ID, so that each provider edge device learns all ATM addresses to be associated with each VPLS ID. The method of advertising ATM addresses can be applied to other services requiring a number of interconnections between provider edge devices, such as Virtual Private Networks.