A method for routing an Internet Protocol - based call through a first IP-based network to a second IP-based network, the method comprising: receiving an IP-based call request in the first network; identifying one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625) that can be used to route the call request out of the first network, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625) represents a logical grouping of IP trunk groups (512, 514, 516) between the first IP-based network and the second IP-based network, a said IP trunk group (512, 514, 516) comprising one or more IP interconnections, wherein each said geographic trunk group (620, 625) comprises routing from at least one backbone gateway location (610, 615) comprising backbone edge nodes to a carrier location comprising carrier edge nodes and each said geographic trunk group (620, 625) comprises a set of attributes that define how each of a plurality of the backbone IP media gateways (612, 614, 616, 618) of said at least one backbone gateway location (610, 615) communicates with each of a plurality of carrier servers at said carrier location, wherein identifying one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625) comprises accessing one or more geographic trunk group definitions, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk group definitions further includes one or more attributes selected from a group consisting of: a geographic trunk group identifier; a group size; a group route advance profile; a signaling normalization profile; a second IP-based, network identifier; a gateway site identifier; and a customer site identifier; and selecting one of the one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625); and routing the received call request via the selected geographic trunk group (620, 625) to an IP address associated with the selected geographic trunk group (620, 625). receiving an IP-based call request in the first network; identifying one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625) that can be used to route the call request out of the first network, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625) represents a logical grouping of IP trunk groups (512, 514, 516) between the first IP-based network and the second IP-based network, a said IP trunk group (512, 514, 516) comprising one or more IP interconnections, wherein each said geographic trunk group (620, 625) comprises routing from at least one backbone gateway location (610, 615) comprising backbone edge nodes to a carrier location comprising carrier edge nodes and each said geographic trunk group (620, 625) comprises a set of attributes that define how each of a plurality of the backbone IP media gateways (612, 614, 616, 618) of said at least one backbone gateway location (610, 615) communicates with each of a plurality of carrier servers at said carrier location, wherein identifying one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625) comprises accessing one or more geographic trunk group definitions, wherein each of the one or more geographic trunk group definitions further includes one or more attributes selected from a group consisting of: a geographic trunk group identifier; a group size; a group route advance profile; a signaling normalization profile; a second IP-based, network identifier; a gateway site identifier; and a customer site identifier; and a geographic trunk group identifier; a group size; a group route advance profile; a signaling normalization profile; a second IP-based, network identifier; a gateway site identifier; and a customer site identifier; and selecting one of the one or more geographic trunk groups (620, 625); and routing the received call request via the selected geographic trunk group (620, 625) to an IP address associated with the selected geographic trunk group (620, 625).