Patent ID: 7254228

Claim:
A method for supporting a changing volume of a voice-grade traffic in an access network having a local exchange with a limited capacity, the method comprising steps of: providing two or more access networks, each having its subscribers and its associated local exchange with a limited capacity; each of the access networks being capable of dividing traffic, outgoing from its subscribers, into the voice-grade traffic portion and data traffic portion, and capable of directing the data traffic portion to a packet network while directing the voice-grade traffic portion to a PSTN network via said associated local exchange; wherein the PSTN network and the packet network are respectively common for said two or more access networks, defining an overload condition of a local exchange as a condition when traffic there-through equals to a predetermined threshold forming at least a portion of the local exchange capacity, defining a normal load condition of the local exchange as a condition when traffic there-through is below said predetermined threshold, detecting overload condition on one of said local exchanges, the overload local exchange being indicated LE 1 ; finding a remaining one of said local exchanges being in its normal load condition, the non-overload local exchange being called LE 2 ; partially diverting the voice-grade traffic intended for the local exchange LE 1 and passing the diverted voice-grade traffic to its destination via said packet network and the local exchange LE 2 , thereby reducing volume of the voice-grade traffic via the LE 1 .