Patent ID: 7697433

Claim:
A method comprising: setting up a call between an originating endpoint supported by an originating media gateway and a terminating endpoint supported by a terminating media gateway; wherein the originating media gateway is communicatively coupled with a core network via a first external call control element and wherein the terminating media gateway communicates with the core network via a second external call control element; determining cluster attributes corresponding to the originating and terminating endpoints at respective supporting media gateways wherein a cluster comprises a plurality of endpoints that share a common alternate bearer, wherein an alternate bearer comprises a common media gateway or media gateway group, wherein the media gateway group comprises a mesh of interconnected media gateways operable to communicate with each other independently of the core network and the first and second external call control elements; exchanging the cluster attributes of the originating endpoint and the terminating endpoint identifying one or more clusters to which the originating endpoint and the terminating endpoint belong wherein the cluster attributes are transparent to the external call control elements; analyzing the cluster attributes to determine if the originating endpoint and the terminating endpoint both belong to a common cluster; wherein if the originating endpoint and the terminating endpoint belong to the common cluster then establishing the call independent of the first and second external call control elements via a corresponding alternate bearer to bypass the core network, else establishing the call via the core network using the first and second external call control elements.