Patent ID: 7734030

Claim:
A method for generating dial plan instructions for a voice over IP (VoIP) network comprising: receiving North American Numbering Plan data (telephone numbering data), wherein the telephone numbering data comprise NPA codes associated with NXX codes; receiving local service tariff data (local call data); sending the telephone numbering data and the local call data to a dial plan generator, wherein the dial plan generator comprises a processor; using the processor to generate a first set of routing instructions from the telephone numbering data and the local call data to be applied to a call originating from the VoIP network, wherein the called number is not associated with a subscriber associated with the VoIP network, (off-net called number) and wherein the first set of routing instructions is executable by the telephone switch and wherein generating the first set of routing instructions comprises: generating offshore routing instructions for a call terminating at an NPA outside the LATA from which the call was initiated and outside a single-rate long distance service plan; generating long distance routing instructions for a call terminating at an NPA outside the LATA from which the call was initiated; generating intra-LATA toll routing instructions for a call terminating at an NPA within the LATA from which the call was initiated; generating inter-LATA local routing instructions for a call terminating at an NPA outside the LATA from which the call was initiated that is within the local calling area; determining whether one or more of the inter-LATA local routing instructions are common to the long distance routing instructions; removing the common inter-LATA local routing instructions from the long distance routing instructions; determining whether one or more of the intra-LATA local routing instructions are common to the long distance routing instructions; and removing the common intra-LATA local routing instructions from the long distance routing instructions; and executing the first set of generated routing instructions in the telephone switch to cause the telephone switch to assign a first route to the off-net call.