Completing telecommunications calls in a competitive local and toll enviroment
First Claim
1. In a telecommunication network, a method of establishing a telecommunications call, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a Dialed Number dialed by a caller at a first switch of a first local carrier;
determining whether said Dialed Number is for a local exchange area call;
if it is determined that said Dialed Number is for a local exchange area call, accessing a local database to determine a preferred terminating carrier, prespecified by a called party identified by said Dialed Number, and switch prespecified by said preferred terminating carrier for serving said call; and
routing said call to said preferred terminating carrier for completing said call to said switch.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an environment of competitive local and interexchange carriers, offering number portability between local carriers-serving a common region and between switches serving that region, each local carrier accesses a regional database to determine the identify of the carrier and switch serving a local customer. In addition, interexchange carriers access a national database to determine the identity of the carrier and switch serving the customer specified by the number dialed by an originating customer. For customers requiring high reliability service, alternate carriers can be used to serve such customers in case the primary carrier is unavailable; the databases identify these alternate carriers. Advantageously, this arrangement allows a high degree of freedom of movement of customers between carriers and geographic relocation without requiring a number change.
150 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a telecommunication network, a method of establishing a telecommunications call, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a Dialed Number dialed by a caller at a first switch of a first local carrier; determining whether said Dialed Number is for a local exchange area call; if it is determined that said Dialed Number is for a local exchange area call, accessing a local database to determine a preferred terminating carrier, prespecified by a called party identified by said Dialed Number, and switch prespecified by said preferred terminating carrier for serving said call; and routing said call to said preferred terminating carrier for completing said call to said switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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11. In a telecommunication network, a method of establishing a telecommunications call, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a Dialed Number dialed by a caller at a first switch of a first local carrier; determining whether said Dialed Number is for an interexchange call; if it is determined that said Dialed Number is for an interexchange call, routing said call to an interexchange carrier; accessing a national database from said interexchange carrier to determine a preferred terminating local carrier prespecified by a called party identified by said Dialed Number, and switch prespecified by said preferred terminating carrier for serving said call; and routing said call to said preferred terminating local carrier and switch. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification