Patent ID: 7675853

Claim:
A communications system comprising a first node connected to a second node by at least a broadband network, each of said nodes comprising: a plurality of narrowband to broadband network adaptors, each of said plurality of narrowband to broadband network adaptors for coupling to a respective one of a plurality of subscriber terminals via narrowband trunks; at least one switch, said plurality of narrowband to broadband network adaptors also being coupled to the at least one switch which provides access to a plurality of virtual channels supported by the at least one broadband network, wherein the at least one switch is provided between the plurality of narrowband to broadband network adaptors and the broadband network; a broadband network connection broker; and a narrowband network call server, wherein, in response to a call signal received from a calling narrowband subscriber terminal coupled to the first node, the first node call server is arranged to select a broadband virtual channel between a respective one of the plurality of network adaptors of the first node and a network adaptor of the second node and to communicate to the second node an identity of a called narrowband subscriber terminal coupled to said second node, and the first node connection broker is arranged to establish a connection between the calling subscriber terminal and the respective one of the first node network adaptors and to communicate an identity of the virtual channel selected by the first node call server to the second node connection broker, wherein said second node connection broker is arranged in response thereto to establish a connection between the called subscriber terminal and the second node network adaptor to thereby complete a connection between said calling and called narrowband subscriber terminals via said selected virtual channel across the broadband network.