Patent ID: 7321586

Claim:
A method for establishing communication links to and from access lines in an exchange of a switching system, the exchange comprising a number of subscriber access units, a central switching unit, and a central controller, wherein each subscriber access unit has line termination units coupled to the access lines to connect to subscriber terminal equipment, and wherein the number of subscriber access units includes subscriber access units that are adjacent to one another and subscriber access units that are not adjacent to one another, the method comprising: coupling the subscriber access units to one another; coupling each subscriber access unit to the central controller, wherein the central controller is configured to establish communication links via the central switching unit; establishing a first connection between access lines of line termination units without an involvement of the central switching unit directly in the subscriber access unit concerned when the line termination unite belong to one and the same subscriber access unit, and between the subscriber access units, which are coupled to one another and are adjacent to one another, when the line termination units belong to adjacent subscriber access units; and establishing a second connection between access lines of line termination units, which belong to subscriber access units that are not adjacent to one another, via one of trunk lines running directly between these subscriber access units and truck lines running between at least one other subscriber access unit, under control of the central controller, but without involvement of the central switching unit of the exchange.