METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCAL ROUTING OF TOLL FREE CALLS

Abstract: A call is routed from a user location to a local call termination point by mapping a dialed toll free number to a POTS-routable number within a local rate calling area (LRCA) that includes the user location. Enhanced services (for example, protocol conversion, etc.) may take place at the local call termination point; and, subsequently, the call may be routed from the local call termination point to a remote call termination point by mapping the POTS-routable number to another number (e.g., a long distance number) associated with a long distance call termination point. The dialed toll free number is mapped to a POTS-routable number by determining an originating NPA-NXX for the user location, matching a routing NPA-NXX for the local call termination point associated therewith, and selecting a line number for the local call termination point according to routing NPA-NXX and the dialed toll free number. The routing NPA-NXX is selected from a first table and the line number is selected from a second table. These tables may be stored as part of an SMS/800 service management system database within a telephony network over which the scheme is deployed.

Description: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOCAL ROUTING OF TOLL FREE CALLS RELATED APPLICATION This application is related to, and hereby claims the priority benefit of and incorporates by reference, related Application No. 09/249,395 entitled "Point-of-Presence Call Center Management System", filed February 12, 1999, by Prem Uppaluru and Mukesh Sundaram, and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of telecommunication, and more particularly to the management of toll free telephone calls. BACKGROUND Local telephone companies (so-called local exchange carriers or LECs) provide users with local calling service within a service area known in the telecommunications industry as a Local Access Transport Area (LATA). When a user dials any number within his/her LATA, the LEC carries the call and charges the user at a specified local rate. Many of the calls a user makes to other numbers in his/her LATA are "free" or subject only to a "local call" toll; that is, they are provided as part of the user's basic telephone service. These free calls are generally limited to calls within a certain radius of the user's phone. Calls dialed to numbers farther away, but still within the user's LATA, are known as "local toll calls" and like the "free" calls are carried by the user's LEC. Such calls are billed by the LEC at the prevailing local toll rate, which depends upon the distance and the time of day and are often subject to minimum one minute billing increments. Calls outside of a LATA are not handled exclusively by a user's LEC. Instead, so- called interexchange carriers (IECs) route these long distance calls between LATAs and/or LECs. Each long distance telephone call made by a user includes fees that the IEC pays to the originating and terminating LECs over whose facilities that call also traveled. Those fees, which are designed to recover the costs to LECs for use of their facilities, are referred to as access charges. Generally, access charges are applied for both incoming and outgoing calls. Thus, they tend to apply even for businesses that use toll free (e.g., 800) service. Under current government guidelines, these access charges are not incurred by so- called "enhanced services providers" (ESPs). In other words, although carriers (such as long distance telephone service providers) must pay local telephone companies for the use of their facilities, ESPs do not. So-called "enhanced" services are generally defined as services provided by telecommunications providers that involve subscriber interaction with stored data (i.e., database access), protocol conversion or a change in the form or content of the information sent or received by the caller. The tariff discrepancy comes about because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) classifies ESPs as "end users" rather than "carriers" for purposes of the access charge rules. Under current FCC rules, ESPs are considered end users when they purchase services from local telephone companies. Thus, ESPs pay the same rates as any other local phone service customer, and these rates are set separately in each state. By contrast, long-distance companies are considered carriers, and they pay interstate access charges regulated by the FCC. Examples of ESPs include Internet service providers (ISPs) and as recently as 1997, the FCC reaffirmed that the existing rate structure for ISPs should remain in place. In the above-mentioned related application, a scheme for deploying local call centers in an effort to minimize long distance toll charges for call center service providers was described. According to that scheme, toll free long distance calls to a call center are redirected to a local call center. The local call center is configured to answer, service, queue and route the call at a local point of presence close to the point of call origination. The local call center may thus provide initial processing of incoming calls; holding and queuing the calls until live operators at the physical call center are available. Once the live operator becomes available, the local call center routes the locally queued calls to the physical call center. The benefit of using a local call center in accordance with the above-described scheme is that the call center service provider will only incur long distance charges for the time that the caller is actually connected to a physical call center operator. Time spent in a hold queue or answering automated menu questions, etc., will not add to the long distance toll charges, because that portion of the call is treated as a local call, terminating at the local call center. Nevertheless, it would reduce costs even further if the call center service provider were able to leverage the access charge exemption currently enjoyed by ESPs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one embodiment, a scheme for routing a call from a user location to a local call termination point is provided. In general, such routing is accomplished by mapping a dialed toll free number to a POTS-routable number within a local rate calling area (LRCA) that includes the user location. Enhanced services (for example, computer processing and/or information access, etc.) may take place at the local call termination point; and, subsequently, the call may be routed from the local call termination point to a remote call termination point by mapping the POTS- routable number to another number (e.g., a long distance number) associated with a long distance call termination point. In some cases, the local call termination point may be a local call center configured to answer, service, queue and/or route the call. Where protocol conversion operations take place at the local call termination point, the call may be transported over a network configured to use the Internet protocol (IP). It should be noted that the local call termination point may be located outside of the caller's LATA. Under current tarrif structures, where enhanced services are provided such back hauling of calls across a LATA boundary will not incur long distance toll charges. Hence, in one embodiment the present scheme takes advantage of this tarrif structure by deploying local call termination points only in selected LATAs and backhauling calls from other LATAs to those locations. Mapping the dialed toll free number to a POTS-routable number generally includes determining an originating NPA-NXX for the user location, matching a routing NPA-NXX for the local call termination point associated therewith, and selecting a line number for the local call termination point according to routing NPA-NXX and the dialed toll free number. In one particular embodiment, the routing NPA-NXX is selected from a first table and the line number is selected from a second table. These tables may be stored as part of an SMS/800 service management system database within a telephony network over which the scheme is deployed. In other cases, the tables may make up a portion of a database that includes call routing information to provide the above-described functionality. Such a database may be stored, for example, at one or more regional service control points within the telephony network. Thus, the present scheme provides for a telephony network configured to route a call to a dialed toll free number from a user location to a local call termination point by mapping an NPA-NXX of the user location to an NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and selecting a line number of the local call termination point using the NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and the dialed toll free number. Other features and advantages of the present scheme will be described further below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawing in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: Figure 1 illustrates portions of a conventional telephone network involved in routing a toll free call; Figure 2 illustrates portions of a telephone network configured to route toll free calls in accordance with the methods of the present invention; and Figure 3 illustrates one example of a local call center configured to perform a protocol conversion operation during the routing of a toll free call in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Described herein is a scheme that allows for the identification of selected toll free numbers, conversion of these toll free numbers to POTS (plain old telephone service)- routable numbers, and routing over local access trunks (e.g., to local call centers) for service. The scheme includes a call mapping process that interfaces with the SMS/800 database service management system for toll free call routing. This mapping enables systematic specification of the called number and the carrier identification code (CIC) fields in the SMS/800 system so that each originating call may be directed over the proper local trunk for termination to the correct port at a local call center. This mapping includes the extraction of information from both the calling and called number to compose the local routing number. The present scheme thus enables a number of distinct nationwide toll free numbers to be intercepted for local routing and processing at local call centers and is described below by way of various embodiments that include specific structures and methods. Notwithstanding these particulars, however, it should be remembered that alternative embodiments that include alternative structures and methods may be employed without departing from the broader principles of the invention described herein. Before describing the illustrated embodiments in detail, it may be helpful to discuss the overall operating environment in which the methods and apparatus of the present scheme may be deployed. The present scheme is particularly well suited for use with toll free service, which is a telecommunication service wherein subscribers are assigned a number (e.g., an 800 or 888 number, soon to be expanded to include other three-digit codes) that allows their customers to reach them without toll charges. American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) first introduced 800 "toll-free" service in 1967. At that time AT&T was the only IEC and all LECs automatically routed all 800 calls directly to AT&T points of presence (POP) without performing any translation from the dialed 800 number to the true terminating number. In practice, the LECs screened incoming calls, looking for a characteristic set of first three digits (e.g., 800). Upon recognizing this set of first three digits, the LEC would hand over the call routing responsibilities to AT&T, which would decode the rest of the toll free number being dialed. This included performing the number translations and service area validation screenings. In this scheme, every digit in the dialed number had significance for screening and call routing. Thus, it was limited in its capabilities and required users to have separate 800 numbers for in-state and out-of-state calls. In 1981, AT&T introduced its common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) network and the network services system (NSS) database for providing its own centralized facility for 800 number translation and service provisioning. The system required an LEC to screen the first three digits of the dialed number (e.g., 800) and deliver the area code for the call's point of origin. AT&T's database would then determine whether the call was from an area for which the subscriber had purchased service and, if so, would translate the called number (800 XXX-XXXX) into a standard ten-digit number which could be routed over AT&T's network. The use of CCIS and the NSS database enabled AT&T to offer customized toll free numbers and other features that gave the service subscriber some control over how and where calls were routed through the network. After divestiture, AT&T retained the rights to its CCIS network and the NSS database system. However, AT&T made provision for the regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs) to lease database capacity to offer their own intra-LATA toll free service. The plan did not allow the RBOCs to use the NSS to provide exchange access services to other IECs. In 1983 the federal courts allowed the RBOCs to implement a modified version of a pre-existing serving arrangement for an interim period until the RBOCs could develop their own 800 database system. This interim service was commonly referred to as the "NXX plan" and used the first six digits of the toll free number (e.g., 800 NXX) to identify the appropriate carrier. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) assigned individual NXX codes to carriers that participated in this arrangement. A major limitation of the six-digit screening technique was that subscribers had to change toll free numbers in order to change service providers. This limitation arose because specific NXX codes were assigned to individual carriers. Changing carriers thus entailed added costs for- subscribers, including new advertising, changes to documentation and forms, and potential loss of business due to customer familiarity with current toll free numbers. The six-digit screening arrangement also limited the selection of toll free numbers that a carrier could offer its customers. In response to complaints regarding the six digit screening process by the RBOCs, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined that a national database system for toll free access would offer both advantages and disadvantages as compared with NXX access. Such a system would enable toll free number portability and thus facilitate competition, since a customer could change carriers without changing numbers. Although the benefit of such a system was recognized, it was not until 1991 that the FCC adopted a comprehensive order that mandated the implementation of nationwide toll free number database access. Under these and subsequent FCC rulings the management and assignment of toll free numbers transitioned from the interim 800 NXX plan to ten digit management in a national 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) database. The SMS/800 is a computer system that provides an environment for entering call-processing data (e.g., routing information) regarding toll free numbers. As shown in Figure 1, when a user 10 dials a toll free (e.g., an 800) number, the call is intercepted at a local service switching point (SSP) 12 so that a query can be directed to determine how the call should be routed. The SSP 12 obtains the routing information from a regional database known as a service control point (SCP) 14. There are ten regional SCP databases in the United States, independently owned by some of the RBOCs and the long distance carriers. The SCPs each receive (periodically, e.g., every 15 min. or so) routing information that has been entered in the SMS/800 system 16. Thus, upon receiving a query from an SSP, an SCP is able to return the carrier identification code (CIC) of the carrier that will transport the call to its destination number along with appropriate routing information. The routing information may be a translated "plain old telephone service" (POTS) number or the dialed toll free number and routing may be based on special considerations such as the time of day, day of the week, percentage allocation, etc. Upon receiving the CIC (a four digit numeric code that forms part of a larger carrier access code or CAC) and routing information, the SSP 12 either routes the call using the LEC network or hands the call to an IEC at the IECs POP, based on whether a POTS number or an 800 number is returned. Against this backdrop refer now to Figure 2 and suppose a user 20 dials a toll free number to access a remote call center located in a distant LATA. Further suppose that the remote call center has arranged for the call to be routed to an appropriate local call center (LCC) in accordance with the methodologies described in the above-cited co-pending application. Initially, the call routes over the local loop to the serving central office SSP 22 of the LEC. At SSP 22 the call is recognized as a toll free call and, accordingly, the call is suspended while a query for routing instructions is made to the regional SCP 24. The SCP 24 gathers the associated carrier identification and routing instructions from a local replica of the SMS/800 system database and passes the information to SSP 22. The routing instructions returned to SSP 22 in accordance with the present scheme provide that for each designated called toll free number, the calling and called number will be mapped to a particular POTS-routable number and trunk assignment for a local call center within the user's local rate calling area. Along with these instructions, a special CIC having a value of "0110" is returned to SSP22. This CIC instructs the SSP22 to route the calls over its own network (i.e., that of the LEC). This ensures that the call remains on the LEC network. The manner in which these database routing instructions are determined is described below, where all phone numbers are of the form NPA-NXX-XXXX, with NPA being a valid area code, N being any digit between 2-9 and X being any digit between 0-9. These numbers are associated with local rate centers. The origination and termination NPA-NXX determine the toll charge for a call. Usually, one or more NPA-NXXs fall into the same rate center and calls between such numbers are considered local calls and are referred to below as Local Rate Calling Areas (LRCA). An LCC may service multiple LRCAs through proper choice of call termination NPA-NXXs from each LRCA. Suppose the toll-free call originated in an LRCA with NPA-NXX as its originating prefix and suppose further that the called toll-free number is 800-XXX-XXXX. For each LCC that services one or more LRCAs, two tables are constructed, one with two columns and the other with three. In the first table (an example of which is shown in Table 1 below), one column (e.g., the left hand column) is a list of all valid originating NPA-NXXs for all LRCAs serviced by the LCC. In the second column (e.g., the right hand column) are the associated NPA-NXX numbers for local routing purposes. In the second table (an example of which is shown in Table 2 below), the left-most column lists all local routing NPA-NXX numbers serviced by LCC (these values corresponds to those in the second column of the first table noted above). The middle column lists all the valid called toll free numbers handled by the LCC. Finally, the right-most column provides the associated unique XXXX line numbers for each toll free number. The routing instructions for calls originating in this LRCA are constructed from these two tables as follows. First, for each toll free call, the originating NPA-NXX is looked up in the left-most column of the first table and the matching routing NPA-NXX is selected from the right-most column of the first table. Second, the routing NPA-NXX and the called toll free number together are looked up in the appropriate columns of the second table and the matching unique XXXX line number is selected from the right-most column thereof. Third, the NPA-NXX selected during the first step is combined with the XXXX line number selected during the second step to form the POTS-routable number handled by the LCC for the original toll free number in that LRCA. Table 1 Table 2 Column 1 Column 2 Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 408223 408660 408660 800999-7087 2400 408224 408660 408660 888483-0101 2401 408225 408660 408660 877663-3458 2402 408226 408660 408660 800225-9000 2403 408227 408660 408660 800543-1894 2404 408229 408660 408660 800629-7413 2405 408238 408660 408660 888358-1234 2406 408239 408660 408660 888439-7564 2407 LRCA 408251 408660 408660 877510-1289 2408 408252 408660 408660 888 555-1212 2409 408253 408660 / 415651 800999-7087 1980 408256 408660 / 415651 888483-0101 1981 408257 408660 / 415651 877663-3458 1982 408258 408660 / 415651 800225-9000 1983 408268 408660 415651 800543-1894 1984 LRCA 408270 408660 415651 800629-7413 1985 415211 415651 415651 888358-1234 1986 415214 415651 415651 888 439-7564 1987 415225 415651 415651 877 510-1289 1988 415241 415651 415651 888 555-1212 1989 415252 415651 ' 510319 800 999-7087 8800 415268 415651 510319 888 483-0101 8801 415680 415651 510319 877 663-3458 8802 510236 510319 510319 800 225-9000 8803 510238 510319 510319 800 543-1894 8804 510241 510319 510319 800 629-7413 8805 510243 510319 510319 888 358-1234 8806 LRCA 510245 510319 510319 888 439-7564 8807 510255 510319 510319 877 510-1289 8808 510257 510319 510319 888 555-1212 8809 510261 510319 510730 510319 As an example, consider a call originating at 408-223-11 11 and suppose that user dials the toll-free number 800-999-7087, associated with a remote call center (e.g., a customer service call center for a business). The call is first intercepted at the SSP associated with the user's calling number and appropriate routing information is requested. The routing information provided is determined using Tables 1 and 2. From Table 1, the user's originating NPA-NXX (in this case 408-223) is determined to be in LRCA 1. This NPA-NXX is mapped to a serving NPA-NXX for the local call center established by the business in that LRCA. In this case, the local call center is identified by the NPA-NXX 408-660 (as is the case for all calls originating in LRCA 1). Now, using the NPA-NXX of the local call center and the dialed toll free number (408-660 and 800-999-7087, respectively), a corresponding line number is obtained from Table 2. In this case, that line number is 2400. This line number extension is combined with the NPA-NXX of the local call center to produce the POTS-routable number 408-660- 2400. Thus, the dialed toll free number would be routed to 408-660-2400. Similarly, a call originating at 415-211-1234 (a number originating in LRCA 2) but dialing the same toll- free number, would be routed to 415-651-1980. The LCC that receives the call on either of the above numbers may treat the calls in the same fashion, as the routing numbers are local aliases to the toll-free number 800-999-7087. In summary, the routing NPA-NXX is determined by the calling number NPA-NXX. The called toll free number determines the routing XXXX line number. The appropriate POTS-routable number (NPA-NXX-XXXX) and the special CIC (i.e., 01 10) are each assigned, so that the call may be routed over a local access trunk to an LECs local point of interconnection (POI). The SMS/800 database is programmed according to the above instructions for each LRCA serviced by an LCC. In the remaining LRCAs (i.e., those that are not serviced by an LCC), the SMS/800 database is programmed to route the toll free call without translation and with a CIC assigned to the desired IXC. This ensures that in each LRCA serviced by an LCC, the toll free calls are routed to it whereas in the remaining LRCAs, the calls are routed to the IXC network. Thus, any SMS/800 database query originated by a SSP is completed according to the routing instructions described above and call control returns to the serving central office. The call routes over local access trunk facilities extending from the serving central office to the LCC or routes to the IXC network if no such LCC exists for the LRCA. At an LCC, each call may be processed by a computer telephony server as is common in the call center industry. Such a server is able to receive the POTS-routable number to which the toll free number was mapped by the SMS/800 database. For example, using a table similar to Table 3 below, the LCC can determine which toll free number was called and process the call accordingly. Table 3 Based on this unique number, the server may create instructions for acceptance, call control, and the corresponding voice response for that number (for example as described in the above-cited co-pending application). Note, a similar table (or at least the information contained therein) may be used within the SMS/800 system to provide mappings between dialed toll free numbers and local numbers (and vice versa). The local routing of toll free calls described above enables several advanced telecommunications applications to be deployed in a highly cost-effective manner. One such application is a nationwide enhanced toll free voice communications service. This service may be implemented using computer telephony servers at the LCCs, which use the POTS-routable number obtained by the local routing of a toll free number and further maps it to a matching POTS-routable long distance number or another matching toll free number. The server may optionally interact with the caller and then route the call to the mapped number using the public switched telephony network (PSTN). The service can also use the POTS-routable number obtained by the local routing of a toll free number and further map it to a matching Internet Protocol network address and route the call to that address over a local network and or the Internet transporting the voice information over Internet protocol (IP). An example of this operation is shown in Figure 3. Here a local call center 30 includes two modules 32 and 34. The modules 32 and 34 may be servers or other computer- based components coupled through a network that utilizes IP to transport information between the modules. Note, in some cases, modules 32 and 34 may be geographically distributed such that they are not physically co-located. In such cases, the two modules may be coupled though a private wide area network and or the Internet. In other cases, the two modules 32 and 34 may be physically close to one another, coupled through a local area network or other network that utilizes IP or another data transmission protocol. Regardless of how the modules are coupled in communication with one another, their basic functionality remains the same. Module 32 receives voice communications from the user over the local access trunk facilities extending from the serving central office as discussed above. That is, module 32 is coupled to receive the user-initiated call to the toll free number through a port coupled to a line corresponding to the POTS-routable number to which that call was mapped. At module 32, that POTS-routable number is mapped to an IP address corresponding to module 34. Such mapping may be done using a look-up table or other mapping arrangement common in the voice-over-IP arts. Having so mapped the POTS-routable number to an IP address, module 32 is now able to transmit the voice data from the user to module 34 using IP. The voice-to-IP conversion may be performed using techniques common in the art. For example, the voice data may be sampled at an appropriate rate and the resulting digital information may be packetized according to the Internet protocol and transported accordingly across communication link 36 to module 34. At module 34, the digital data may be reconstructed to voice data (if so desired), and the call mapped to a POTS (or even toll free) number associated with the called business. Such a mapping may be done using techniques common in the art, for example using a lookup table that associates the incoming IP address used by module 32 with an outgoing POTS number. Thus, the call from the user will have been first mapped to a local POTS-routable number to reach LCC 30, then mapped to an IP address for transport between modules 32 and 34, then finally mapped to a POTS (or other) number for final connection to the called party (e.g., the remote call center). An example of such mapping may make use of tables having the following structures. Table 4 provides the structure for a mapping of a POTS number to any of an IP address (e.g., to reach module 34), a long distance number (e.g., a customer number) and/or a proxy toll free number (e.g., of the distant call center. Table 4 Local POTS IP Address Long distance # 800 # # At module 34, a table having the structure of Table 5 may be used to map an IP address to any of a local POTS #, a long distance number or a proxy 800 number in a similar fashion. Table 5 Thus, such tables provide multiple translation mechanisms to complete and/or facilitate the required call routing. By including an IP leg in the call in the above-described example, the call center provider qualifies for the enhanced services exception to the access charges that would otherwise apply to the long distance call between the LCC and the remote call center. In other words, the entire call from the user has now been ' made truly "toll free". Consider that the call from the user first terminates at the LCC, within the user's LRCA. Thus, this portion of the call is subject only to local rates and not long distance charges. Then, because of the enhanced services being provided at the LCC (e.g., the protocol conversion operations discussed above or other enhanced services such as voice response, computer processing, database lookups, and/or information accessess, the call from the LCC to the remote call center is exempt from access charges under the current FCC regulations. Thus, both legs of the call are free from access charges, and the call center service provider may pass these savings along to its customers. Thus a scheme for local routing of toll free calls has been described. Although discussed with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims: CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1 . A method comprising: routing a call from a user location to a local call termination point by mapping a dialed toll free number to a POTS-routable number within a local rate calling area (LRCA) that includes the user location; performing enhanced services at the local call termination point; and routing the call from the local call termination point to a remote call termination point by mapping the POTS-routable number to another number associated with a long distance call termination point. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the local call termination point comprises a local call center configured to answer, service, queue and/or route the call. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the enhanced services include transporting the call over a network configured to use the Internet protocol (IP) for data transmissions. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein mapping the dialed toll free number to a POTS- routable number comprises determining an originating NPA-NXX for the user location, matching a routing NPA-NXX for the local call termination point associated therewith, and selecting a line number for the local call termination point according to routing NPA-NXX and the dialed toll free number. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the routing NPA-NXX is selected from a first lookup table and the line number is selected from a second lookup table. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein information comprising the first and second lookup tables is stored as part of an SMS/800 service management system database. 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the number associated with the remote call termination point comprises a long distance telephone number. 8. A database comprising call routing information that includes an NPA-NXX and unique line number for a local call termination point, the NPA-NXX and line number being accessible by providing an NPA-NXX of a calling party and a dialed toll free number. 9. The database of claim 8 being organized as a pair of tables, a first of the tables associating the NPA-NXX of the calling party and the NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and a second of the tables associating the NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and the dialed toll free number with the unique line number. 10. An SMS/800 service management system comprising the database of claim 8. 1 1. A telephony network configured to route a call to a dialed toll free number from a user location to a local call termination point by mapping an NPA-NXX of the user location to an NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and selecting a line number of the local call termination point using the NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and the dialed toll free number. 12. The telephony network of claim 1 1 wherein the local call termination point is within a local rate calling area (LRCA) that includes the user location. 13. The telephony network of claim 12 wherein the local call termination point comprises a local call center configured to answer, service, queue and/or route the call. 14. The telephony network of claim 13 comprising an SMS/800 service management system including a database having stored therein routing information that allows for mapping the NPA-NXX of the user location to the NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and determining the line number of the local call termination point using the NPA- NXX of the local call termination point and the dialed toll free number. 15. The telephony network of claim 14 wherein routing information is stored in a pair of tables, a first of the tables associating the NPA-NXX of the user location to the NPA- NXX of the local call termination point and a second of the tables associating the line number of the local call termination point with the NPA-NXX of the local call termination point and the dialed toll free number. 16. The telephony network of claim 15 wherein the local call center is further configured to route the call over a network using Internet protocol. 17. The telephony network of claim 16 wherein the local call center is further configured to route the call to a remote call center after routing the call over the network. 18. The telephony network of claim 17 wherein the call is routed to a long distance number associated with the remote call center.

Inventors: SUNDARAM MUKESH, UPPALURU PREM, SUNDARAM, MUKESH, UPPALURU, PREM
Applicants: SUNDARAM MUKESH, TELERA, UPPALURU PREM, SUNDARAM, MUKESH, UPPALURU, PREM
Application year: 2000
Main classification: H04Q3
IPC codes: H04M3, H04M7, H04Q3