Patent ID: 7991001

Claim:
A method for providing telephony service over the Internet, the method comprising: downloading a call client to a user device associated with a first user; launching the call client on the user device, wherein the user device is connected to the Internet; receiving a call request according to a non-native protocol at a packet switched telephony service provider, wherein the call request includes a telephone number corresponding to a second user accessible through a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN); determining whether the first user associated with the user device is authorized to place a call associated with the call request; selecting a gateway to process the call request; transmitting the call request from the packet switched telephony service provider to the selected gateway according to Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), wherein the gateway is operable to forward the call request to the second user; communicating media of a call associated with the call request between the user device and the gateway according to User Datagram Protocol (UDP) along a different path to that along which the call request is transmitted; and logging call information so that call durations may be determined.